Mandya, Feb 9 (IANS): A local court in Karnataka on Saturday awarded 20-year imprisonment to a man accused of luring and raping a minor girl.

The POCSO special court Judge B. Dilip Kumar has pronounced the order. The incident had taken place in the Bellur police station limits.

The accused (33) has been awarded six months of rigorous punishment and a fine of Rs 2,500. Under the POCSO act, the court has announced 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000. The court has also ordered a compensation of Rs 50,000 for the victim.

The accused had committed the crime in 2019. He had lured the 17-year-old victim and raped her. The victim had become pregnant. The police had then registered the POCSO case against him and submitted a chargesheet against the accused.

Meanwhile, on January 14, a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Bengaluru. The incident occurred around 7.30 p.m. when the victim's parents were out for construction work and she was alone at home in the Rammurthynagar police station area.

On July 10, 2024, a gang of five men abducted two minor girls and sexually assaulted one of them on the Karnataka-Kerala border in Kodagu district. The other girl had escaped and after getting information, the Karnataka Police had arrested all the five accused.

On July 19, 2024, police have arrested two persons in connection with the raping a minor girl in Yadgir district of Karnataka. The girl was raped by two accused when the victim had gone to attend nature's call.

On May 4, 2024, a 17-year-old girl was raped and impregnated by a 19-year-old man in Karnataka's Hubballi and the accused was arrested. The accused had targeted the victim girl by getting close to her through her classmate. Later, the accused abused and threatened her.