21-Year-Old Sentenced to 2 Years for Kidnapping Minor in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: A special Pocso court in Vijayawada on Monday sentenced a 21-year-old man to two years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs. 10,000 for kidnapping a minor girl.

Justice Tirumala Venkateswarulu, chairman of the Vijayawada Cooperative Tribunal and in-charge judge for the Pocso court, pronounced the judgment against Katta Abhinay. The prosecution successfully proved Abhinay's involvement in the kidnapping of a 15-year-old girl.

The case originated on August 10, 2022, when the victim's parents filed a complaint with the II Town police station regarding their daughter's disappearance from school. Following the complaint, sub-inspector Dhanalakshmi Prasanna registered a missing person report and initiated an investigation.

The investigation led police to Abhinay, a resident of Old RR Pet. During questioning, Abhinay admitted to taking the girl from her school to a hospital in Gannavaram under the pretense of marriage. Based on this confession, the police converted the missing person case into one under sections 366(A) (kidnapping), 354(D) (stalking), of the IPC, and Section 12 of the POCSO Act (sexual harassment of a minor). A chargesheet was filed on August 22, 2022.