AGARTALA, Aug 14 (TIWN): The District and Sessions Court has convicted a 44-year-old man, Harkumar Debnath, for raping an 11-year-old girl who was a student at his wife's home-based tuition center in Kumarghat police station area.

The court sentenced Debnath to 20 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of ?11,000, with an additional four months of imprisonment in case of default.

The victim, a sixth-grade student, was repeatedly raped by Debnath when his wife was away from home. The girl's family filed a complaint on July 8, 2023, after she refused to continue attending tuition classes. The investigation officer, Inspector Mandira Debnath, submitted the charge sheet on July 31, 2023.

The prosecution presented 12 witnesses, and Special Judge Amarendra Kumar Singh delivered the verdict. Special Public Prosecutor Sunirmal Deb handled the case for the government and briefed the media about the case.