A city court has sentenced a 17-year-old youth to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl, who was his friend.

Jimut Bahan Biswas, additional sessions judge at Sealdah court here, sentenced the youth under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on him, 90 per cent of which will be paid to the girl as compensation.

Juveniles aged 16 years and above are tried under laws for adults for heinous crimes.

In default of payment of the fine, the youth will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment for another year.

The court, in its order on Tuesday, also directed the West Bengal government to pay Rs 5 lakh to the 16-year-old girl from the victim compensation fund.

The girl had fallen ill in February and was taken to state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. On examination, she was found to be pregnant, special public prosecutor Vivek Kumar Sharma told the court.

She disclosed to her parents that her friend had forced her to have sex with him after promising her marriage.

An FIR was lodged in the case at Ultadanga police station on March 3.

According to the complaint, the youth had come to the residence of the girl when her parents were not at home and since they shared a good relationship, she offered him food.

The youth then forced the girl to have sex with him taking advantage of her parents' absence, Sharma submitted before the court.

The court, after examining 10 witnesses and hearing both sides, found the youth guilty.