Ahmedabad: A special Pocso court in Ahmedabad on Monday sentenced two youths to 20 years’ imprisonment after holding them guilty of raping a minor girl, who later delivered a child at a young age.The convicts, both 22 years of age, were accused of establishing sexual relationships with the 16-year-old girl in 2024. While the first accused was in a relationship with the minor between Jan and May 2024, the second accused and the girl were together from May to Nov 2024, when the girl was found 28 weeks pregnant.When the family found out about her pregnancy, they lodged an FIR with Shahpur police. The child’s DNA samples established the first accused as the biological father, but the court found enough evidence against the second accused as well to convict him.Additional public prosecutor K G Jain examined 17 witnesses and presented 48 pieces of documentary evidence to establish guilt of both the accused. The court, after finding it a consensual relationship, awarded the minimum sentence of 20 years.The court also ordered Rs 10.5 lakh compensation for the victim for having undergone the trouble of becoming a mother at a very young age.
