Hyderabad, Jan. 28 -- A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a five-year-old girl at his residence in Secunderabad. The incident occurred in November 2023.

The accused has been identified as Lingala Deepak, who worked as a labourer.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 and ordered the accused to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the victim. The sentence also includes a six-month default imprisonment if the fine is not paid.

He was convicted under Section 5(m) read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 376-AB of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

On January 24, the Nampally courtdelivered its verdict in the case involving five individuals convicted for the rape of a minor.

The ...