JUDGMENT

This Criminal Appeal has been filed against the judgment of conviction and sentence dated 04.01.2020 passed by the learned Sessions Judge, Mahalir Neethimandram (Fast Track Mahila Court) Tiruppur in Spl.S.C.No.14 of 2017.

2. The case of the prosecution is that the victim, who was aged about 17 years, was working as an Assistant Tailor at Anitha stitching centre. The accused/appellant was also working in the same stitching centre. On 05.05.2014, the victim went to the stitching centre for attending the work at about 8.30 a.m the victim stated to her parents that she was not doing well and that she is going to her house. At the same time, the accused also went out from the stitching centre. Thereafter, the accused kidnapped the minor victim girl from the lawful guardians from Tiruppur to Amurdhahalli, Bangalore in train and forcefully married her and both were residing in a rented house at Bangalore near the house of P.W.5 one Nagamani. Both the accused and the victim resided at Bangalore for about 76 days i.e. from 05.05.2014 to 19.07.2014 and at that time the accused forcefully had sexual intercourse with the minor victim several times. Further, the accused is a non-mem