UP: Man sentenced to 20-year jail term for raping girl

Maharajganj (UP), Jul 10 (PTI) A court here has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl in 2023, a lawyer said on Friday. Special Judge (POCSO) Vinod Kumar convicted Mohammed Sharif in the case and pronounced the sentence on Thursday, also imposing a fine of Rs 51,000 on him. If the accused fails to deposit the fine, he would serve an additional six months of jail, Assistant District Government Counsel Vijay Narayan Singh said. The incident took place on February 1, 2023, in the district, the lawyer said. Following a complaint lodged by the girl's father, a case was registered against Sharif under relevant sections of the law and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he added. PTI COR KIS DV DV