Shortly after escaping police custody while being presented in court, a man charged with the sexual assault of a minor has been found guilty and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. This ruling pertains to a case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2020 at a local police station.

In addition to the prison sentence, the POCSO court also levied a fine of Rs 50,000 against the defendant. The incident in question occurred in October 2020 when the accused approached and assaulted the victim as she was fetching water outside her home.

The court’s decision was based on the testimonies of witnesses along with the medical and forensic evidence provided by the prosecution. The judge emphasized that the evidence presented was “credible” and confirmed that the prosecution had established its case “beyond reasonable doubt,” leading to the sentencing.

The accused had managed to escape on March 30 by claiming he needed to use the restroom while being escorted to court from Vadodara Central Jail, where he was held as an undertrial. He was apprehended by the Vadodara Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) in Dhule on April 1.

A statement released by the Vadodara city police on Wednesday noted that the special court’s conviction was the result of a “fruitful and diligent investigation” conducted by the police inspector assigned to the case. Furthermore, the police highlighted their ongoing initiative aimed at improving conviction rates in criminal cases.