A Coimbatore court sentenced a 56-year-old man to five years rigorous imprisonment for raping a mentally-challenged minor girl about three years ago in Valparai in the district.

The prosecution case was that Velayutham had sexually assaulted the minor girl, who was also mentally challenged, when she was alone in the house on January 17, 2013.

Based on the complaint by the girl's mother, police arrested Velayutham and the case was going on in the Mahila Court in Coimbatore.

Mahila Court Judge, Raja, sentenced Velayutham to five years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000.

If he fails to pay the fine, he will have to undergo another six month's jail term, the court ordered.