The VI Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced a 26-year-old autorickshaw driver to 10 years rigorous imprisonment on finding him guilty of raping a 14-year-old girl in Belthangady.

According to the charge-sheet, Harish Gowda, autorickshaw driver, took the girl in his vehicle on September 13, 2012, saying that he will drop her at her uncle’s place. Instead of dropping her at the house, Harish Gowda took her to a forest area and raped her, the charge-sheet said.

The Uppinangady police booked Harish Gowda under Sections 376 (rape), 363 (kidnap) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The prosecution examined 18 witnesses.

The judge, S.H. Pushpanjali Devi, on October 17 convicted Harish Gowda under Sections 376 and 363 of the IPC.

On Tuesday, the judge sentenced Gowda to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 10,000 on him for rape and to seven years in jail and a fine of Rs. 10,000 for kidnap.

The two sentences will run concurrently, the judge said.