Lingampally auto driver sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping minor girl

A special court in Rajendranagar has sentenced a 23-year-old auto driver residing in Lingampally to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the kidnapping and repeated sexual assault of a minor girl. The special court for trial and disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases in Rangareddy district delivered the verdict, which also directed the convict to pay a fine of ₹3,000. Additionally, the court awarded ₹1 lakh in compensation to the survivor.

The convict, identified as Mohd Afroz, who is originally from Karnataka, was prosecuted following a case registered by the Chandanagar police in Cyberabad. The court found him guilty under Sections 363 (kidnapping) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, alongside Section 5 read with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

The case dates back to March 2020. According to police records, the survivor’s mother approached the Chandanagar police on March 16, 2020, to report that her minor daughter had gone missing a day earlier, on March 15. The family had searched for the girl but was unable to find her, prompting the police to register an initial case of kidnapping.

During the investigation, police officials discovered that Afroz had established an acquaintance with the minor girl. He lured her away from her home by promising to marry her, after which he sexually assaulted her multiple times.

Based on the detailed statement provided by the survivor and the evidence gathered by the investigating team, the police invoked the additional charges of rape and sexual assault under the IPC and the POCSO Act.

The Chandanagar police arrested Afroz on July 10, 2020, and subsequently filed a charge sheet in the court. Following the trial, the special court in Rangareddy district convicted Afroz on all charges, leading to the sentencing.