Bengaluru: Stranger befriends minor girl on train, rapes her repeatedly

Bengaluru: A casual conversation with a stranger in a train made a family suffer for more than five years, as the stranger befriended their minor daughter and raped her repeatedly. Five years after the incident, a local court convicted him to undergo 10-year imprisonment.

The convict, Ajeez Mohammed Sanaulla, hails from Jharkhand and worked as a cook. He had taken a room on rent in Whitefield and was living with his friends.

In 2011, a businessman’s family from Chamrajpet was on a tour of North India and was going by train. Sanaulla, who was 26 years old then, was also going to his hometown and was in the same coach. He picked up a conversation with the then 15-year-old daughter of the businessman and befriended her. He also spoke to the girl’s parents and became friendly with them as well. The girl’s father, who did not suspect the man, gave Sanaulla his business card that had the number of his landline phone at home.

After the family returned from the tour, Sanaulla got in touch with the girl on the landline and continued their friendship. In April 2011, he invited her to his room in Whitefield and offered her a drink laced with sedatives. When she fell unconscious, he raped her. When she regained her consciousness, the girl realised that Sanaualla had raped her, but he convinced her that he was in love with her and would marry her.

Even after the incident, both continued to be in touch and Sanaulla raped her in his room on several occasions. He called the girl regularly on her mother’s mobile phone. In August 2011, he told the girl that he was moving to Coimbatore and asked her to come there. The girl left home in the morning and did not return. Her panicked parents filed a missing complaint with the Central police, who investigated the case. The police, who analysed the mobile phone call details, traced the girl to Coimbatore, rescued her and arrested Sanaulla.

The trial was held at the 51st City Civil and Sessions Court and Judge B.S. Rekha found Sanaulla guilty of the charges. He was sentenced to 10-year simple imprisonment for rape and levied a penalty of Rs 5,000. H was also convicted to undergo one-year imprisonment on kidnapping charges. Public Prosecutor P. P. Varad argued on behalf of the government.