Chandigarh, Jan. 8 -- A local court on Wednesday sentenced a Bathinda resident to seven years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a Zirakpur woman on the pretext of helping her secure a job.

The accused, Ashok Kumar of Hazy Raan village in Bathinda, was found guilty under Sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, and awarded Rs.70,000 fine along with the jail term.

According to the prosecution, the victim, who was unemployed at the time, had uploaded her resume online. In February 2018, she received a phone call from a person promising her a job with a monthly salary of Rs.7,000-8,000, and asked her to come to Kisan Bhawan, Sector 35, Chandigarh, for an interview.

On February 23,...