Bengaluru driver sentenced to 20-years in jail for raping minor girl

The court also sentenced his friend to 3 years in jail and fined him Rs 5,000

A special court for trials in Bengaluru sentenced a tourist vehicle driver, one L Manjunath Reddy, to 20 years in jail and fined him Rs 40,000 for raping a minor girl in 2017 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

The court also sentenced his friend, A Sharat, to 3 years in jail and fined him Rs 5,000 for helping the accused in eloping with the girl and suggesting him to marry the victim, as per a The Times of India report.

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As per the chargesheet, Reddy, who drives a temp traveller, had befriended the then 16-year-old girl when he had driven her family to a tourist spots. He reportedly then threatened her to marry him or he would die by suicide. The minor yielded to his pressure and agreed to his demand. The accused’s friend, Sharat had driven the duo to a temple near Shivamogga where they got married, the report said.

The two rented a place in Chandapur near Anekal and lived there for about a month. The police later rescued the girl and arrested Reddy after the girl’s father filed a complaint, TOI quoted prosecutor Geeta Gorawar as saying.

According to the girl, Sharat suggested them to get married. "Get married and have kids. Then no one will bother you," Gorwar said, quoting the victim's statement on Sharat.

Since the registration of the case in 2017, the prime accused has been imprisoned at Bengaluru Central Prison, while his friend A Sharat was out on bail.

The accused, who lived in Channakeshavanagar is originally from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. Sharat is a resident of Electronics City.