Additional Sessions Judge Mahesh Chander Gupta awarded the sentences to Haryana resident Wazir and his accomplice Delhi resident Darshana in the kidnapping and rape of of the 10-year-old girl.
The court convicted Wazir on charge of kidnapping and raping the minor while Darshana was held guilty of abducting and keeping the girl in illegal confinment and forcing her to marry him.
"I am of the considered opinion that ends of justice can be met by sentencing convicts Darshana and Wazir to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of seven years each and to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 each under section 363 (kidnapping) of IPC. They are further sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of seven years each and to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 each under section 366 (abducting and compelling woman for marriage) of IPC.
"Convict Wazir is further sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of ten years and to pay a fine of Rs 6,000 under section 376 (2)(f) of IPC for raping a minor," the court said.
Counsel for the convicts had pleaded for leniency saying they are first time offenders and sole bread earners in their respective families.
The prosecution had opposed the convicts' plea for leniency saying that the victim, a minor girl of 10 years, was kidnapped by the duo on August 16, 2009 in furtherance of their common intention to compel her to marriage.
After kidnapping the victim, convict Wazir had married her at a temple and then had sexual intercourse with her at his village Luhar Hedi near Bahadurgarh in District Jhajjar, Haryana, it had said. (MORE)
