The Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Court sentenced a 22-year-old youth to rigorous imprisonment for 25 years for kidnapping and raping a minor girl.
Special Judge R. Jayakrishnan sentenced Noufal of Velinalloor who was found guilty of the crime. He was sentenced to five years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000 under Section 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹50,000 under Section 5(L) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
While the court has also awarded jail terms of six months and a year respectively for defaulting fine payment, the sentences shall run concurrently.
The convict has been sent to the Central Prison at Poojappura.
According to the prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor R.S. Vijay Mohan, the incident occurred after the survivor, then aged 15 years, befriended the accused on Instagram. After maintaining close contact with the minor, he raped her at her house under the Medical College police station on November 1, 2020. Noufal later abducted her and took her to a resort at Munroe Thuruthu where he sexually assaulted her again on November 30. The incident had come to light after her mother filed a missing person complaint. The accused was subsequently arrested on December 2.
While the court also found him guilty under Section 376 (2)(n) of IPC (rape), no separate sentence was awarded in view of the limit of punishment prescribed by the relevant laws.
The prosecution presented 21 witnesses, 33 exhibits and seven material objects during the trial. P. Harilal, station house officer, Medical College police, had investigated the case.
