BHOPAL: A special POCSO court has sentenced Pyare Miyan, a septuagenarian and former newspaper owner in Bhopal, to 10 separate life imprisonments for the rape and sexual assault of five minor girls, a prosecution official said.

The court also imposed a hefty fine of Rs 77.64 lakh on him in its judgment pronounced on Tuesday, the official said.

The sentences pronounced under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) include eight terms of imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life and two terms of life imprisonment. All the sentences will run concurrently.

The court also sentenced his accomplice, Rabia Bi, to 20 years in prison, the official said.

According to the prosecution, Miyan (78) had been targeting girls since 2014. He would lure them with the promise of a job at his home for Rs 10,000 per month and would then sexually assault and rape them.

Rabia Bi acted as a facilitator in his criminal activities, the official said.

The crime came to light on July 11, 2020, when during a counselling session, a victim revealed she was invited to a flat in Bhopal's Shahpura area on the pretext of celebrating a girl's birthday.

She was forced to consume alcohol and was sexually assaulted in the flat by Miyan, the official said, citing the case details. Several other minor girls also revealed the same horrific pattern of exploitation, he said.

The court sentenced Miyan to 10 life terms after the prosecution proved the charges against him, Public Prosecutor PN Singh Rajput said.

Police investigated the case, and the former newspaper owner was arrested and later put on trial alongside Rabia Bi and other accomplices, Rajput added.