Bhubaneswar, September 23: A Special POCSO Court in Jajpur district has sentenced a 52-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape of an eight-year-old girl, a crime committed last year.

Judge Abhijit Palei, presiding over the Additional District Sessions and Special POCSO Court, found Arakshita Parida—also known as Kalia—guilty based on strong evidence, eyewitness accounts, and corroborating circumstantial details, according to an official statement.

In addition to the life sentence, the court levied a ₹2 lakh fine on the convict. It also directed the Jajpur District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide ₹5 lakh in financial aid to the victim as a gesture of compassion.