A court in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, has found a 60-year-old man guilty of raping a seven-year-old girl and has sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, according to a case lawyer. On Wednesday, Additional Sessions Judge (POCSO Act) Parul Verma also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict, Hari Prasad Maurya. Government lawyer Devendra Tripathi reported that the father of the survivor claimed in his complaint that on the night of June 2, 2023, his daughter was playing with other children when Maurya, who was intoxicated, enticed her into his home and assaulted her. The police charged Maurya under relevant sections for rape and the POCSO Act, subsequently filing a chargesheet in court.
Following the trial and consideration of the evidence presented, the court sentenced Maurya to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 50,000 fine, which is to be awarded to the victim as compensation for her medical and psychological trauma.
