Man gets 20-year RI in rape case

Bettiah: A special Pocso court in West Champaran on Thursday sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor. The court also imposed a fine of Rs66,000 on the convict, with an additional jail term of nine months and 20 days in case of non-payment. It further directed that the victim be compensated with Rs3 lakh.Special public prosecutor Jayashankar Tiwari said the case was registered at Bagaha (women) police station. Police had filed a chargesheet against the accused, Nirgun Ram. Given the gravity of the offence, the Bagaha SP monitored the investigation. The case was placed under ‘speedy trial’ based on scientific evidence to ensure swift justice.Special judge, Pocso, Arvind Kumar Gupta pronounced the verdict under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Pocso Act.