Bhubaneswar: A special POCSO court in Odisha’s Balasore district today sentenced a 60-year-old man to life imprisonment after convicting him in connection with the rape of a differently-abled minor girl last year.

Balasore Special POCSO Judge convicted accused Padma Lochan Kamila after examining as many as 20 witnesses, 27 documents and other evidence, said public prosecutor Pranab Kumar Panda.

The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 on the convict. Non-payment of the penalty amount would invite imprisonment for additional one year.

The special POCSO court has directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the victim.

As per the case records, the incident took place in Sahadevkhunta area of Balasore district in 2024. The local police had registered a case in this regard.