The Fast Track Court-II on Tuesday convicted a 27-year-old photographer in a POCSO case and sentenced him to undergo 20 years of imprisonment and pay a fine of ₹10,000.
The accused, Siddaraju, allegedly lured his 17-year-old neighbour and eloped with her in November 2019 and sexually assaulted her on the pretext of marriage in November 2019.
Initially, the police registered a missing case and while searching for her, the victim returned home and narrated the ordeal.
Based on the complaint, the Rajagopalnagar police registered a case under the POCSO Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and tracked down the accused and arrested him.
Inspector Dinesh Patil filed a chargesheet against the accused and Public Prosecutor A.V. Madhu presented the case. The court also directed the district legal service authority to pay compensation of ₹4 lakh to the victim.
