Three weeks after it was set up, a fast track court has sentenced a 21-year-old youth to ten years imprisonment for raping his handicapped neighbour and threatening to kill her if she discloses the incident to anyone.

Additional sessions judge Mahesh Chander Gupta sentenced Rajesh, a resident of outer Delhi and an electrician by profession, to ten years imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 20,000 for raping the handicapped girl after trespassing her house in the dead of the night in October 2009.

This is the first sentencing by this court set up on January 2 after it was designated as one of the five fast track courts for trying sexual offences against women early this month.

In the intervening night of October 2-3, 2009 Rajesh entered the victims's house, raped her and criminally intimidated her by threatening?to kill her, the judge noted.

Rajesh's counsel had pleaded for leniency saying he has old parents, a brother and two sisters to look after, has clean antecedents and has been in judicial custody since October 3, 2009.

The prosecution, however, had sought strict punishment for him saying he had committed a grave offence of rape that too on a handicapped girl.