Surat: A local court on Friday sentenced one Abhay Patel to 20 years in jail for kidnapping and raping a minor from Kamrej. The court also ordered Rs 6 lakh compensation for the survivor.According to the prosecution, the crime took place in June 2023 when the girl left home to attend tuition classes but did not return till late evening. Her family and friends began searching for her and later contacted the tuition teacher, only to learn that she never reached the class.After failing to trace her, the family lodged a missing person’s complaint with police. During the investigation, police tracked down the accused and the girl near Bharuch, where they were found together. After her rescue, the girl alleged that Patel had raped her, after which he was booked and arrested.During the trial, the court found Patel guilty, holding that he developed a relationship with the girl after promising to marry her and then sexually assaulted her. The court observed that such offences against girls are grave and require strict punishment.In its order, the court said stern sentencing was necessary to deter others from exploiting and raping minors after first developing relationships with them.The investigation revealed that the accused initially developed friendship with the minor through social media. They started chatting and then met each other. Later, the accused promised marriage and raped her.
