A Special Vijayawada Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Court on Thursday, August 8, sentenced three youths to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 each for gang-raping a 17-year-old girl in September 2019.

The three accused were identified as Uttaradi Guru Sai Chandra alias Sai (19), Golla Sai alias Mental Sai (21) and Peyyala Tarun Kumar (20) and other four juveniles who were involved in the crime are undergoing trial with the principal magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board.

According to NTR district Commissioner of Police (SP) SV Rajashekhar Babu, the prime accused, Sai Chandra, befriended the victim girl and invited her to his home in the pretext of introducing his mother. Sai promised her of marriage. Believing his words, she went to his house on September 29, 2019.

Taking advantage of the situation, Sai Chandra sexually assaulted her. Later, he called his his friends. They committed sexual assault along with another two friends a week later. The accused and his friends continued the heinous act on her more than two months. Unable to bear the torment, she told her parents about the atrocities against her and lodged a complaint with Bhavanipuram police on December same year.

After examining the evidence, the POCSO court incharge judge Tirumala Venkateswarlu pronounced the judgement.