Gujarat: Man convicted of raping minor escapes from court, held later

In its judgment Friday, the court sentenced the Narmada resident to 10 years’ imprisonment and imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 on him.

While the court acquitted the man of charges under IPC sections 363 and 366, he was convicted of rape (section 376) charges and those under POCSO sections 4, 5, 6.

While a police personnel was taking the convict into custody, he sought permission from her to answer nature’s call, police said.

After entering the wash room, he did not come out and when policemen broke open the door, the convict was missing .

Narmada LCB police inspector A M Patel said, “After carrying out a search operation, we came to know that the convict might be hiding at his aunt’s house. Our teams reached the house but he managed to escape. We finally caught him from the agricultural fields on the outskirts of the village and later in the evening he was produced before the same court. The accused was sent to judicial custody at Rajpipla sub-jail.”

Police have a filed a case against the Narmada resident under IPC sections 223 and 224 for escaping from police custody.

The case against the convict dates back to July 11, 2017, when he eloped with the girl. Following this, the girl’s father lodged a police complaint at the police station concerned against the Narmada man.

The convict then reached his relative’s house in Surat with the girl and and July 25, 2017, both of them surrendered before police. Following a medical examination, the man was arrested and the girl was handed over to her parents.

Public Prosecutor in the case J J Gohil said, “The accused knew that the victim was a minor when he eloped with her and later developed physical relationship with her, which the court had taken into consideration while announcing the judgment.”

Defense lawyer K J Tadvi said they will challenge the order in the higher courts.