The Bombay High Court has upheld the seven-year kidnapping conviction of a man who eloped with a 13-year-old girl, ruling that a minor's consent is legally immaterial in such cases. While the court maintained the kidnapping sentence, a division bench of Justices Sandipkumar More and Abasaheb Shinde acquitted the appellant, Amol Landge, of rape charges after medical evidence contradicted the initial allegations. The judgment, pronounced on April 21, emphasises the strict legal protections surrounding the age of majority in cases involving minors.

Acquittal on S*xual Assault Charges

Amol Landge had approached the High Court to challenge a 2022 decision by a special POCSO court in Hingoli, which had sentenced him to 10 years for rape and seven years for kidnapping. The trial court's conviction for rape was primarily based on the testimony of the girl. Bombay High Court Quashes Voyeurism FIR, Says ‘Staring at Colleague’s Chest Not Section 354C Offence’.

However, upon review, the High Court noted that the medical officer's testimony and physical evidence on record "ruled out the possibility" of s*xual assault. Consequently, the bench cleared Landge of charges under the Protection of Children from S*xual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Immateriality of Minor Consent

Despite the acquittal on rape charges, the court refused to overturn the conviction for kidnapping under Sections 363 and 366-A of the IPC. During the proceedings, the girl admitted to being in love with Landge and acknowledged that she did not raise an alarm when they left their village in 2019. The court dismissed these factors as a defense, citing her age of 13 at the time of the incident. The bench remarked, "So far as offence under sections 363 and 366-A of the IPC (kidnapping) is concerned, though the victim admitted that she was in love with accused, but admittedly due to her age being of 13 years, it cannot be held that there was no forcible act of the appellant (Landge) while taking her away and that it was a case of mutual consent and adolescent love." Sajid Khan Mistaken Identity Case: Bombay High Court Orders Exhumation of Muslim Man Buried in Hindu Cremation Ground, Says ‘Right to Dignity Extends After Death’.

Case Background

The case dates back to October 24, 2019, when Landge, then 19, fled with the girl from Kalamnuri in the Hingoli district. Following a missing person report filed by the girl’s family, the duo was traced to Pimpalgaon. Based on initial statements made by the minor, Landge was booked for kidnapping and penetrative s*xual assault. The High Court's ruling confirms that even in instances described as "adolescent love", the law provides no room for consensual elopement when one party is a minor. Landge will now serve the remainder of his seven-year sentence for kidnapping, with all other sentences set aside.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 26, 2026 05:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).