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MEERUT: A court in Bulandshahr sentenced a 25-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a 16-year-old girl, and sent his father to three years in prison for kidnapping.

The court of additional district judge Manoj Kumar Singh also imposed a fine of Rs 46,000 on the son and Rs 3,000 on the father, reports Rahul Singh.The case dated back to October 22, 2021, when the Class X student left for school but did not return home. "She was kidnapped on the way and sexually assaulted by the son at his house, while his father stood guard outside. The survivor was later rescued, and medical examination confirmed sexual assault," said special public prosecutor Mahesh Raghav.An FIR under IPC sections 363, 368, 376(2)(i) and 5L/6 of Pocso Act was registered. The court observed, "Rape is not just an assault, it violates a victim's dignity & personal liberty. Strict punishment needs to be delivered."