Phulbani, Oct 29 (PTI) A court in Odisha's Kandhamal district awarded life imprisonment to a 30-year-old man on Saturday for raping and murdering a nine-year-old girl some four years ago.

Phulbani Pocso court judge Bhaskar Chandra Sahu also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on the convict, special public prosecutor Banamali Behera said.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Pushes Friend to Death in 30-Feet-Deep Ditch From Fort in Agra for Not Sharing Cigarette; Arrested.

The court directed the District Legal Services Authority to grant a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the girl.

On September 22, 2018, the convict, a truck driver, dragged the girl to a nearby cashew orchard, and raped and strangled her.

Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Man Gives Memory Card Containing Porn Videos to Minor Girl in Mangaluru, Asks Her To Check Content on Phone; Arrested Under POCSO Act.

The judgement was based on the statements of 21 witnesses, and medical reports.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)