Lucknow, Dec 19 (IANS): A local court in Lucknow has sentenced a 30-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district that took place more than eight years ago.

The court of special judge, POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act), Varun Mohit Nigam also imposed a penalty of Rs 1.5 lakh on the convict.

THe accused would have to serve an extra six months in jail in case of failure to pay the penalty.

The court pronounced the strict punishment due to effective pursuance of the case by police and prosecution officials, a state government spokesman said.

Government counsel, Sant Pratap Singh said the girl was raped when she had gone to answer nature's call near her house in a village under Hardi police station of Bahraich on September 29, 2014.

He added that the police initially lodged a case of molestation and invoked sections of the POCSO Act. Charges were later added on the basis of the girl's statement and medical examination, he said.

He added the convict was present in court when the jail term was pronounced. He was sent back to jail to serve his term.