KANPUR, May 30 -- A special court in Kannauj on Friday sentenced former block pramukh Nawab Singh Yadav and his brother Veerpal Singh alias Neelu Yadav to eight years' rigorous imprisonment in a Gangsters Act case linked to the rape of a minor in 2024. Special judge Rajneesh Verma also sentenced co-accused Pooja Tomar to six years in prison. The court imposed fines of Rs 10 lakh each on Nawab and Veerpal and Rs 5 lakh on Tomar. Both Nawab and Veerpal appeared before the court virtually from Banda and Kaushambi jails respectively, while Tomar is lodged in Kannauj district jail. The case stems from an FIR registered at Sadar Kotwali police station after a 15-year-old girl accused Nawab Singh of sexually assaulting her at a private college owned by him in Kannauj on the night of August 11-12, 2024. According to the prosecution, the teenager had gone to seek a job and was accompanied by Tomar. Police said the girl later called 'Dial 112' alleging sexual assault. Officers who reached the college found Nawab Singh at the spot and arrested him the same night. The case was later converted into one under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, after the survivor's statement was recorded in court. Investigators also alleged that Neelu Yadav tried to influence the probe and destroy evidence, leading to his arrest along with Tomar. Government counsel Brijesh Shukla said police prepared a gang chart on the basis of multiple criminal cases registered against the accused, including charges related to sexual assault, assault and land grabbing. The court heard testimony from eight prosecution witnesses before convicting the three, he said. Nawab Singh, once associated with the Samajwadi Party, had earlier served as a block pramukh and held positions in the party's youth wing in Kannauj. Police records cited in court showed 32 criminal cases against him, while Neelu Yadav faced 27. Tomar had five cases registered against her, according to the prosecution....