Chandigarh, Feb. 26 -- A man has been sentenced to 20-year imprisonment for raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter.

The court of special judge dealing with POCSO cases, Yashika, also imposed a fine of Rs.51,000 on the convict. He was held guilty under Sections 6 of the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act and Section 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code.

The court also ordered payment of Rs.4 lakh compensation to the victim under the victim compensation scheme.

While pronouncing the verdict, the court stated, "Children belonging to any strata of the society are certainly the future of the country and they are not only to be nourished but also required to be protected for the sake of the bright future of our co...