45-yr-old man kept behind bars for 20 years for raping a minor, in Adilabad

Adilabad: A 45-year-old man was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of 20 years and fined Rs.2,000 on charges of raping of a minor girl from Utnoor mandal centre by luring her with Rs 5 five months ago. A Special Court for POCSO cases gave the verdict in Adilabad on Tuesday.

POCSO court Judge Madhavi Krishna pronounced the judgment, awarding the rigorous imprisonment and imposing the fine after finding Shaik Haider guilty of the offence reported on April 15. The Court cross-examined nine witnesses and examined pieces of evidence produced before it by public prosecutor M Ramana Reddy.

Shaik Haider was booked for raping the six-year-old girl, the daughter of a beggar couple from Maharashtra when she was alone. The then Utnoor Additional Superintendent of Police Harshavardhan took up investigations. Incidentally, it was the first case in which the Special Court delivered the verdict.

Superintendent of Police D Uday Kumar Reddy appreciated Ramana Reddy, court duty officer Narender, District Crime Records Bureau Inspector Gunavanth Rao, court liaison officer, for playing a vital role in securing the conviction.