Amritsar: Youth sentenced to 20 years in prison in POCSO case

Amritsar: The Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fast Track Special Court), who handles cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, has convicted Saurav Sharma, a resident of Guru Nanak Pura, Kot Khalsa, Islamabad, for raping a minor girl. The court found him guilty under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and sentenced him to 20 years in prison and a fine of ₹40,000. The incident occurred in January 2024.

According to the verdict, the victim was alone at home. The accused, who was her neighbor, frequently visited her home due to their brother-sister relationship. Six months before the FIR was filed, he allegedly came to her house and offered her ‘prasad’. After eating it, she fell unconscious. When she regained consciousness, she found herself naked, and the accused was also nearby. He took her obscene pictures and raped her several times without her consent, threatening to make them viral.