A court in Mangaluru in Karnataka has sentenced a man to seven years rigorous imprisonment in a case of abducting and raping a minor girl student in 2014. The man found guilty was facing the charge of abducting the girl, confining her in a lodge and sexually assaulting her in August 2014.

Irfan (28), a resident of Deralakatte in Kotekar village here, had got acquainted with the girl who was studying for PU and often conversed with her on phone. After convincing the minor that he was in love with her, in August 2014, when the girl was going to the college, he intercepted her at Natekal, abducted her in a car, took her to a lodge in Chikkamagaluru and sexually assaulted her there. He also threatened to murder her if she revealed anything about the incident to others.

The girl's parents had filed missing case in Ullal police station. The police found out the whereabouts of the accused. The police had investigated the case and filed charge sheet. In the judgement delivered on Monday, sessions and fast track special court-1 judge Savitri V Bhat, who conducted the trial, concluded that the charges levelled against Irfan had been proven.

The man was awarded seven years imprisonment and Rs 15,000 fine for rape under POCSO Act, three years and a fine of Rs 5,000 for abduction, one year and a fine of Rs 2,000 for posing death threat and five months and a fine of Rs 1,000 for intercepting her. He has to undergo additional jail term if he fails to pay the fines.

Special public prosecutor C Venkataramana Swamy appeared for the prosecution. The affected student and her family members had turned hostile during the hearing and given evidence in favour of the accused. But relying on the evidences of 15 persons and 22 documentary evidences and the evidence of the investigating officers, the judge concluded that the charges were proved.