Jaipur, Nov 27 : A 25-year-old man, who befriended a 13-year-old girl after meeting her on social media and later kidnapped her, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a POCSO court in Rajasthan's Dausa on Tuesday.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the accused.

The incident occurred in the Bandikui police station area on June 19, 2022. The minor girl had left home to buy snacks from a nearby shop but did not return. Despite extensive searches by her family, she was not found.

An FIR was subsequently lodged, prompting the police to launch a thorough investigation. CCTV footage revealed the girl in the company of a young man at a railway station.

Three days later, on June 21, police rescued the girl from a bus stand in Darbhanga district, Bihar. The accused, identified as Israel, a 25-year-old Nepalese national, was arrested.

Following an investigation, a charge sheet was filed. Judge Poonam Dargan of the POCSO court found Israel guilty of trafficking and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Special Public Prosecutor Jitendra Kumar Saini explained that 16 witnesses and 35 documents were presented during the trial, leading to the court's verdict.

The police investigation revealed that the girl, an eighth-grade student, had been playing the Free Fire mobile game, where she became acquainted with Israel. Using this connection, the accused, who worked as a labourer in Qatar, travelled to Delhi and then abducted the girl from Bandikui. He transported her to Bihar by train, intending to take her to Qatar via Nepal.

Further inquiries uncovered that Israel had deceived the girl by posting a model-like picture of himself on Instagram, which helped him gain her trust. The police traced the accused through the girl's social media accounts, including Instagram, which revealed his contact details and location. This ultimately led to the successful rescue of the girl and the arrest of the perpetrator.

/IANS