Taking advantage of a security lapse, a man sentenced to 20 years in prison escaped from the Gandhinagar Special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Court moments after the verdict was delivered.
According to a media report, the case, registered at Gandhinagar Infocity Police Station, involved convict Lala Dangi, a native of Dahod working as a labourer in Dholakuva, who was found guilty of repeatedly raping a 15-year-old girl, fully aware she was underage.
The court sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under IPC Section 376 and POCSO Act Section 4, along with fines totalling ₹30,000. Additional punishments included:
– 1 year under IPC Section 363 and ₹10,000 fine (15 days simple imprisonment if unpaid)
– 3 years under IPC Section 366 and ₹10,000 fine (15 days simple imprisonment if unpaid)
– 20 years under IPC Section 376 & POCSO Act Section 4 and ₹10,000 fine (1 year simple imprisonment if unpaid)
The District Legal Services Authority was also directed to pay ₹4 lakh compensation to the survivor.
However, at around 1:30 pm, just after hearing the sentence, Lala jumped from the court dock and fled. Police gave chase but he managed to escape the premises.
The incident has sparked fresh concerns over court security—especially since last September, an armed accused had entered the Gandhinagar court campus, prompting police to increase deployment at the gates. Despite these measures, the convict still managed to evade capture.
A police manhunt is now underway to locate and arrest him.