Surat: A special Pocso court here sentenced a boy to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping and impregnating a 12-year-old girl in 2023, when he was 17 years old.This is the first case in Surat where a minor has received the maximum punishment for rape under the Protection of Children froms Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. The boy was sent to the Mehsana Zonal Observation home and will remain there until the age of 21, after which he will be transferred to Lajpore Jail here.The 17-year-old boy, originally from UP and but living in the Sachin GIDC area, befriended and developed a relationship with a 12-year-old neighbour in 2023. He raped her, resulting in her pregnancy. The matter came to light when the girl missed her period. She revealed that she was pregnant due to the relationship with the accused boy.A complaint was filed under the Pocso Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, leading to the minor’s arrest and placement in a juvenile home. The case was tried in the special Pocso court, where public prosecutor Munjal Brahmbhatt argued that medical evidence and the girl’s testimony substantiated the case against the accused. Despite being a minor, the accused acted with the mentality of an adult, committing rape and impregnating the girl. Such cases cannot be taken lightly and the maximum punishment prescribed by law should be imposed.Special judge Vinod V Parmar, after considering arguments from both sides and the evidence presented, ruled that the accused committed a heinous and despicable act against the child. The accused, being older than 16 but younger than 18 at the time of the crime, raped the young girl repeatedly, violating neighbourly trust. To set an example and prevent such heinous crimes, the court deemed it necessary to impose a severe sentence, ordering 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the accused.The accused was sent to the Mehsana observation home, and the child development officer there was instructed to submit a report to the Surat court every six months until he turns 21.
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