Ballia (UP) | A special court in Ballia district has convicted three accused for the gangrape of a 13-year-old girl, sentencing two of them to 25 years in prison and one to five years in prison, a senior police officer said on Friday. Superintendent of Police (SP) Omveer Singh said that the court of Additional Sessions Judge/Special Judge (POCSO Act) Prathamkant convicted the three accused after completing the hearing of the case on Thursday.

The court sentenced Sonu Thakur and Irshad Ansari to 25 years in prison, along with a fine of Rs 52,000 each, while Dhruv Narayan Singh was handed a five-year jail sentence with a fine of Rs 22,000.

According to the prosecution, a 13-year-old girl was raped by Thakur and Ansari, both from Ballia district, on December 3, 2023. The act was filmed, and Dhruv Narayan Singh allegedly sent the video to the victim via WhatsApp to blackmail her.

Based on the complaint filed by the girl's mother, a case was registered against Thakur, Ansari and Dhruv Narayan Singh under relevant sections of the IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Following the investigation, the police filed a charge sheet against the three accused in court, and after completing the hearing, the court pronounced the sentence.