Agartala, Nov 6 (IANS): The Gauhati High Court has asked the central government to pay Rs.10 lakh compensation to a minor girl whose school principal raped her in 1998 in Tripura. The girl, then a class 8 student, delivered a baby in hostel the next year, an official said Sunday.

"The high court in a judgment Friday asked the human resource development ministry to pay a compensation of Rs.10 lakh to the sufferer," an official of the Tripura women's commission told reporters here.

Convict Harishankar Tiwary, former principal of central government-run Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Kakraban in southern Tripura, is now serving life term in a Tripura jail.

The victim was the classmate of the convict's daughter, the official said.

"The family of the victim and the Tripura women's commission had filed a joint writ petition before the high court seeking compensation of Rs.50 lakh for the girl," said the official.

The high court in June 2005 upheld the life sentence awarded to Tiwary by the district and sessions court of South Tripura.

"The court has also asked the human resource development ministry to constitute an expert committee to supervise the functioning of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas across the country," the official added.