Latur: The District Court here has sentenced a 35-year-old man to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment even though he married the minor victim during the trial.

Judge S A Sayyed passed the order on November 2, finding Vipul Sakharam Bankar guilty of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor girl.

The court also ordered him to pay a fine of Rs 5,000.

Bankar was accused of luring the girl with the promise of marriage, abducting her, and sexually assaulting her on September 26, 2015.

Based on a complaint filed by her father, Latur Rural Police booked him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 14 witnesses including the victim.

Bankar later married the girl and asked the court to record her testimony again, but the court rejected his request.

He cited his marriage to the girl and the birth of a child as a defense to escape punishment. But Public Prosecutor S M Mundada and Special Prosecutor Mangesh Mahindrakar pointed out that the couple was not living together any longer due to marital disputes.

Finding the prosecution’s case convincing, the court convicted the accused.