Morbi Fast Track Court Sentences Man To 20 Years In Prison In Kidnapping And POCSO Case
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Fast Track Special Court in Morbi has convicted Prakash Pathan (Valmiki) and sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment in a case involving the kidnapping and repeated sexual assault of a 14-year-old minor girl.
According to court records, the incident occurred between the late hours of January 20, 2024, and the morning of January 21, 2024, behind the Bhimasar Tran-Maliya area.
The accused allegedly knew that the victim was a minor and enticed her with promises of marriage before taking her away from the lawful guardianship of her parents on the pretext of travelling to Kutch.
Over the subsequent days, the victim was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual assault against her will.
Family Reports Girl Missing
After the girl went missing, her family alerted the police, following which an FIR was registered at Morbi City “B” Division Police Station.
The case was registered under Sections 363, 366, 376(2)(n) and 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 5(l) and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The investigating officer subsequently filed a charge sheet after collecting physical evidence, medical examination reports and biological and serological analysis conducted by the FSL in Rajkot.
Prosecution Presents 11 Witnesses, 23 Exhibits
During the trial, the prosecution examined 11 oral witnesses and produced 23 documentary exhibits.
The evidence included the victim’s official birth certificate and medical records establishing that she was 14 years old at the time of the incident.
The defence argued that the victim was an adult and questioned the credibility of witness testimonies.
However, the court rejected the defence arguments and held that the prosecution had successfully established the victim’s minor status and proved the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The court also relied on the statutory presumptions under the POCSO Act while determining the accused’s guilt.
The court consequently convicted Pathan and sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment.
