The Mahottari District Court slapped a life sentence on Arun Kumar Shah for the rape and murder of a six-year-old.

A bench of Judge Ram Chandra Khadka announced the sentence to the 27-year-old on Tuesday after pronouncing him guilty on charges of rape, abduction, hostage-taking, and murder.

The minor, a resident of Bardibas-14, had gone missing on 22 November 2020. She was found dead the same night.

The court announced the sentence following heavy protests from the victim’s family, accusing Shah of the heinous crime.

The full text of the verdict is yet to come, said Mahottari District Court registrar Madan Prasad Jaiswal.