Ahmedabad: Two men convicted in a Pocso case walked out of a courtroom moments after the judgement was pronounced on the pretext of calling their lawyer, prompting a fresh criminal case against them for evading arrest.A complaint was lodged at Navrangpura police station on Tuesday by the bench clerk of the Seventh Additional Sessions Court (Rural), Navrangpura.According to the FIR, the incident occurred on June 17 when the court delivered its judgement in a 2024 Pocso case registered at Sanand police station. The case pertained to the abduction of a 14-year-old girl from Sanand. The prime accused had allegedly kidnapped and repeatedly raped the minor, while the second accused abetted the crime.The two accused, Sahilkumar Makwana of Sanand and Sultan alias Manoj Harun of Sarkhej, were present in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered. The FIR states that after the judge pronounced the sentence, both told the court that they wanted to call their lawyer.The two then left the courtroom around 1.30pm without informing the court staff or seeking permission and did not return. The FIR alleges that they fled to avoid being taken into custody after the conviction.The court scheduled a hearing of the matter for June 22 and issued arrest warrants against both the convicts. Police arrested Makwana on June 20 and produced him before the court, after which he was remanded to Sabarmati Central Jail.However, Harun failed to appear before the court and could not be traced until the next hearing on June 22. The court then directed its bench clerk to lodge a separate complaint against both the convicts.
