A court here has sentenced a 29-year-old man to 12 years' rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a minor girl of his neighbourhood in Gobichettipalayam in the district two years ago.
Erode district women's court judge Malathy Monday awarded the punishment to Yoganathan, a labourer.
According to the prosecution, Yoganathan had on October 20, 2017 gone to the house of the girl, a Class 10 student, kidnapped and took her to Manickkampalayam village where he kept her in a house and allegedly raped her.
He later took the girl back to her house and warned her against revealing the incident to anyone.
The girl later informed her parents about the incident. Following which, a case was registered at Gobichettipalayam all-women police station and Yoganathan arrested.