India, Nov. 4 -- A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Surat sentenced a 20-year-old Ajay alias Rahul alias Dhiryo Anilbhai Mali to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment for abducting and sexually assaulting a minor girl.

The judgment was delivered on November 3, by Justice Bhavesh K Awashiya, additional district and sessions judge and special POCSO judge, Surat.

The case dates back to August 23, 2024, when the girl, then below 18 years of age, went missing from her home in Amroli. Her mother told police she returned after visiting a relative and the girl could not be traced in the neighbourhood, so a complaint was lodged at Amroli police station.

An FIR was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) ...