India, June 11 -- A court in north Bengal's Jalpaiguri district sentenced a man to death on Wednesday for raping and murdering an 11 -year-old girl in 2023, police officials who probed the crime, said. The victim was his neighbour.

The 31-year-old man was convicted under Sections 363, 376 ( A and B), 302, 201 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso), Debasis Dutta, special public prosecutor of the Pocso court, said.

The victim, who lived in the Dhupguri region, went missing on September 29, 2023. Her body was found floating in the Dudwa river, 20 km away from her home, on October 1. It was dumped in a plastic bag.

"The convict was arrested on October 2. The child went to his ...