Bhubaneswar: In a strong punitive judgment, the Khordha Additional District and Sessions Judge (IV) Court sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl.

The convict, P. Krishna Rao, was found guilty under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in connection with the incident that took place in 2020.

In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on Rao. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional year of rigorous imprisonment.

The court also directed the Odisha Government to provide ₹4 lakh as compensation to the survivor.

The crime occurred in 2020 within the jurisdiction of the Khordha Model Police Station.