In two judgments delivered on Wednesday, the Additional District and Sessions (Special POCSO) Court (FTSC-1) sentenced two men to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and sexually assaulting minor girls.

Judge Mohammad Mujeer Ulla C.G., presiding over both matters in Kalaburagi, emphasised the judiciary’s commitment to protecting minors by imposing significant fines and ordering substantial victim compensation.

In the first case, pertaining to Wadi Police limits, 24-year-old Maluraj, a resident of Nalawar village in Chittapur taluk, Kalaburagi district, was convicted of sexually assaulting of a 17-year-old girl.

The prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Shanthaveera B. Thuppad, established that the accused lured the victim from her house on February 16, 2025, under the pretext of taking her to Bengaluru.

Instead, he held her captive in a shed in Kunigal taluk, Tumakuru district, where he forcibly sexually assaulted her between February 17 and February 21, 2025.

For these offences, the court sentenced Maluraj to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1,00,000 under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with an additional two-year term and a fine of ₹25,000 under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The second verdict involved 23-year-old Nagesh, also known as Sanju, a resident of Kakkalameli village in Sindagi taluk.

The case, registered in the Yedrami Police Station, recorded details of how the accused befriended a 16-year-old girl while her family was residing in Almatti.

On September 9, 2024, Nagesh lured the minor to Bengaluru and kept her in illegal confinement for 56 days in a shed in the Bellandur area.

During this period, the victim was subjected to repeated sexual assault and death threats.

Similar to the first case, the court awarded Nagesh 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1,00,000 under Section 6 of the POCSO Act, plus two years and a fine of ₹25,000 under Section 137(2) of the BNS.

Recognizing the severe trauma suffered by both survivors, the court ordered a compensation of ₹3,00,000 each to be paid to the victims within one month of the judgment.

The investigation was led by Circle Inspector Chandrashekhar of Wadi and Circle Inspector Rajesaheb Nadaf of Yedrami in the two cases, respectively.