New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI): A youth has been sentenced to 10 years in jail by a Delhi court for kidnapping and trying to rape a three-year-old girl, residing in his neighbourhood.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) M C Gupta held 23-year-old Sultanpuri resident Vijay guilty of kidnapping, attempting to rape and also commit unnatural sex with her, besides wrongfully confining and injuring her.

Vijay had taken the child to his room when she was playing at the ground floor of his house with his one-year-old brother and tried to rape her in March 2010.

Vijay, a sweeper, could not succeed in his evil plan as the girl started crying and managed to run away, the police had said adding Vijay had also slapped the minor several times when she raised an alarm.

The court convicted Vijay for the offences saying "the prosecution has been able to bring home the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubts and there is no room for hypothesis, consistent with that of his innocence."

"I am of the opinion that as far as the involvement of accused Vijay in the commission of the offences is concerned, the same is sufficiently established by the cogent and reliable evidence....

"The ends of justice can be met by sentencing convict to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 10 years," the judge said.

Vijay had sought leniency on the ground that he had to support his family and had clean antecedents.

The prosecutor, however, submitted that the convict be dealt with strictly and maximum punishment be given to deter him from committing the same offence in future.