Two weeks ago, a 22-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur was sentenced to 20 years in jail by a local court for allegedly kidnapping and raping a minor girl — who belongs to a different community — from his neighbourhood.

The case has now taken an unexpected turn.

The girl, who recently turned 18, has alleged that her father had forced her to give a false statement against the accused in court. She went on to accuse her parents of allegedly misleading her, and falsely implicating the man. She also said she wanted to live with the man’s family.

On Thursday, police convened a meeting which was attended by the girl, her family, and the convict’s family.

“The girl’s family refused to keep her, saying she was creating disturbances at home. The convict’s parents also declined to take

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