GHAZIPUR: A special court on Friday sentenced a man to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for raping his one-year-old stepdaughter, concluding the trial in 14 days.

Special judge Ram Avtar Prasad convicted the man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, prosecution lawyer Prabhu Narayan Singh said.

The incident was first reported on July 20 by the girl's mother, a resident of a village under Shadiabad police station.

She alleged that her husband had sexually assaulted her daughter on July 18 while she was away from home transplanting rice, causing the child critical injuries and bleeding from a private part.

Singh said the charge sheet was filed on September 12. The court initiated daily proceedings on September 15.

Five witnesses were presented during the accelerated trial. After reviewing the evidence and hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence, the court handed down the life sentence to the accused.