PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 4 -- A district court in Pratapgarh has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the kidnapping and rape of a 17-year-old girl in July last year. The court also imposed a fine of one lakh rupees on the convict, directing that the amount be paid to the survivor for her rehabilitation. Delivering the verdict on Friday, additional district judge (POCSO) Parul Verma found Sameer Ahmed, a resident of the victim's village, guilty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for kidnapping and rape, and under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to the prosecution, the case dates back to July 14, 2024. The victim's uncle lodged an FIR at Udaipur police station in Pratapgarh, alleging that Ahmed lured the minor away from her home. In her statement to the court, the survivor stated that Ahmed took her on his motorcycle to his aunt's vacant house. There, he sexually assaulted her and allegedly promised marriage on the condition that she convert to his religion, special public prosecutor Nirbhay Singh stated....