Brahmapur: A Special POCSO court here on Tuesday sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him of raping a 13-year-old girl after kidnapping her in Ganjam district. The incident took place six years ago in a village under Rambha police station limits in Ganjam district.

POCSO court judge Rohit Lal Panda has also imposed a fine of Rs 70,000 on the convict. He will undergo jail for an additional nine months if he fails to pay the fine amount, said special public prosecutor Siba Prasad Mishra.

The court has also directed the district legal service authorities to pay Rs 5 lakh to the victim under the victim compensation scheme. The entire fine amount will be paid to the survivor after recovery from the convict, the court ruled.

The court pronounced the judgment after recording the statements of 14 witnesses, including the police and medical officer and based on the medical reports and seized articles, he said. Sources said the accused had taken the victim, a student of Class 8, from her home by giving some false promises on June 8, 2020. The mother of the victim lodged an FIR at Rambha police station after she could not find her daughter.

Police rescued the girl from a house with the accused. He was arrested after a medical test. The accused has been in jail since his arrest, as his bail plea was rejected earlier, the government pleader said.