Kushinagar (UP), Jan 21 A special POCSO court here on Wednesday sentenced a 35-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping and strangling her minor niece to death, a case lawyer said.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
Special Judge (POCSO) and Additional District and Sessions Judge Dinesh Kumar noted, "Crime not only ended the victim's life prematurely but also amounted to an assault on the dignity of womanhood."
The court ordered that 80 per cent of the fine be paid to the victim's father, failing which the convict will have to undergo an additional two years in jail, government lawyer Ajay Gupta said.
According to the prosecution, the 16-year-old girl went missing on September 9, 2015, after leaving for college on a bicycle. Her body was later found in a sugarcane field near Mathia village.
Police recovered the convict's mobile phone, purse and slippers from the spot and, with the help of a dog squad, traced him to his house, the lawyer said.
The accused later confessed during interrogation. After examining the evidence and witness testimonies, the court held him guilty and pronounced the sentence, Gupta added.
