Muzaffarnagar, September 3: A POCSO court-2 in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Sandeep, to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl. The additional district session judge/ special judge of the POCSO court, on Saturday, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict.

Assistant district government counsel (ADGC), Vinay Kumar Arora, said, “The incident took place on May 9, 2020. A family member of the accused filed a complaint at the local police station, stating that the 8-year-old victim, who is also the sister-in-law of the accused, used to live with them. On the day of the incident, the accused took her to a room and raped her. When the victim tried to scream, he strangulated her.” Gurugram Shocker: Student Raped by Coaching Institute Employee, Accused Arrested

According to DGC Rajeev Sharma, "During the investigation, it came to light that the accused had subjected the victim to brutal treatment. His wife stated to the police that Sandeep had returned home inebriated on May 9. He had also brought a cold drink, and during the night, he tied the victim's hands and legs, gagging her with a cloth before committing the heinous act. When she raised an alarm, he strangled her to death." Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 14-Year-Old Girl Gang-Raped by Two Minor Schoolmates in Meerut, Accused Absconding

The court, in its verdict, stated that for the offence under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 10,0000. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two months imprisonment. "For the offence under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012, the accused receives life imprisonment and a fine of ten thousand rupees, with the possibility of an additional two-month imprisonment in case of non-payment. Additionally, for the offence under Section 201 of the IPC, the accused is sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of five thousand rupees. Defaulting on the fine will lead to an additional imprisonment term of one month," the court further stated.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2023 08:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).