The Delhi High Court has upheld the 10-year jail term awarded by a trial court to a man for raping his neighbour's minor daughter seven years ago.

Dismissing the appeal of Udai Shankar Kumar, a resident of Mehrauli area, Justice G P Mittal upheld the trial court's verdict against him. “There is no error or infirmity in the impugned judgement,” the court said.

The High Court also rejected the convict’s argument that the victim’s parents had falsely implicated him after he demanded back Rs 10,000 they had borrowed from him.

Rejecting the testimony of defence witness that Kumar had lent the money to victim’s parents but the transaction did not take place in her presence, the court said, “In the circumstances, the defence version that the appellant (Kumar) was falsely implicated because of non-return of the loan amount is not believable.”

According to the prosecution, Kumar had raped the eight-year-old girl, when her parents were away for work on March 23, 2006.