Guwahati, Feb 11 (IANS): A district court in Assams Hojai district on Wednesday sentenced a man to death for raping and murdering a four-year-old girl a year ago.

A court official said that Additional District and Sessions Judge N. Chena Baya Deuri convicted Chandan alias Vikram Harijan for the rape and murder of a minor girl under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the convicted criminal, to be paid to the victim's family as compensation.

According to the police, Harijan lured the minor girl with some gifts from outside her house and took her to a secluded place. He then raped the girl before strangulating her to death on February 26, 2020.

The police filed the chargesheet before the court within two months of registering the case, but the hearing was interrupted due to the Covid induced lockdown.

The parents and relatives of the deceased minor girl have expressed their satisfaction over the verdict.