Fri Mar 21 11:16:40 UTC 2025: ## Erode Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Kidnapping, Assaulting Minor

**EROde, March 21, 2025** – A 21-year-old man, R. Harish alias Ramesh, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Fast Track Mahila Court in Erode for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in 2021. The incident occurred during the COVID-19 lockdown when the victim, a Class 11 student, was befriended online by Harish.

After the girl’s mother discovered the online friendship, she warned her daughter. However, on April 22, 2021, the girl left home under the pretense of visiting a bank, and subsequently disappeared. A missing person’s report was filed, and three days later, police tracked her phone to Omalur, where they apprehended Harish and rescued the girl.

Investigations revealed that Harish had kidnapped and sexually assaulted the victim. The case was prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. While initially arrested and held at Coimbatore Central Prison, Harish was later released on bail.

Judge C. Sornakumar found Harish guilty and handed down a 20-year sentence for sexual assault, along with a ₹5,000 fine, and a concurrent five-year sentence for kidnapping, with a ₹1,000 fine. Harish is currently being held at Coimbatore Central Prison.

Read More