BAHRAICH, Sept. 24 -- In one of the fastest criminal trials in Bahraich, Additional Sessions Judge/Special Judge (POCSO), Deep Kant Mani, on Wednesday, sentenced Avinash Pandey alias Simple, 32, of Sujauli to life imprisonment under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, just 20 working days after his arrest. The court also imposed a fine of Rs.1 lakh, with an additional 10 months' jail in case of default.

Special District Government Counsel (POCSO), Sant Pratap Singh, said cases involving four girls were registered against Pandey, and today's conviction sets a precedent for swift justice in Bahraich for survivors of such heinous crimes.

Pandey was also found guilty under Section 115(2) of the Bh...