School van driver gets lifer for raping minor girl student

A local court Monday sentenced a 28-year-old school van driver to life imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a minor girl student at Vanasthalipuram in April 2014. Metropolitan Sessions Judge at LB Nagar court convicted D Balaraj under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sentenced him to life imprisonment, a release from Rachakonda Police

Commissionerate said here. He also slapped him with a fine of Rs 10,000.

According to police, Balaraj got acquainted with the class 9 girl, about 14 years of age, and lured the victim by saying that he loved her and would marry her. In April 2014, he forcibly took the girl on a bike to his friend's house at Rajendra Nagar at night and repeatedly raped her, police said.

His friend was not at home during that time. Following a complaint by the girl, Balaraj was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.