Lucknow: An additional sessions court in Shravasti has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his 15-year-old maternal niece.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000.Additional sessions judge Saurabh Saxena delivered the verdict on Monday in a case registered at Malhipur police station.According to the prosecution, the victim’s father had travelled to Nepal on Nov 12, 2022, leaving his daughter alone at home. The accused, the son of the girl’s maternal aunt, allegedly arrived at the house, forcibly entered despite being told her father was away, and raped her.The survivor later informed her father about the incident after he returned home. He subsequently lodged a complaint with police.During the investigation, police recorded statements of nine witnesses, conducted the victim’s medical examination and collected forensic evidence. Following the probe, the accused was chargesheeted under the state’s Operation Conviction initiative.After examining the evidence and hearing both sides, the court found the accused guilty and sentenced him to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed a Rs 20,000 fine, with an additional six months’ jail term in case of default.
