A school teacher has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Odisha's Rayagada district for sexually abusing an eight-year-old student. Additional district judge Debdutta Das Mohapatra also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on the teacher of the private school yesterday. In case of failure to pay the fine, the convict would have to undergo an additional six months in jail, the order said.

Apart from the victim's statement, the court examined 21 witnesses before pronouncing the verdict, Public Prosecutor Ch Srinivas Rao said. According to the prosecution, the matter came to light after the parents of the boy lodged a complaint with the police following which the teacher was arrested on October 9 last under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, POCSO Act, and Juvenile Justice Act.