The Special Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) Court in Malda on Friday sentenced five persons to rigorous imprisonment for 20 years and slapped a penalty of Rs 20,000 each on them for sexually assaulting two minor girls in the district one-and-a-half years ago.

Their imprisonment would be extended for six months if they do not pay the fine, said a source.

Asit Baran Bose, the public prosecutor of the special court, said 22 witnesses had made their submissions before the judge.

The relatives of the convicts said they would move a higher court against the verdict.

Gold worth Rs 58 lakh seized

Siliguri: The BSF seized gold bars worth over Rs 58 lakh from near the Bangladesh border in Cooch Behar district where they were lying unclaimed on Thursday.

Personnel of the 138th battalion of the BSF posted at Jhikri border outpost received a tip-off and found eight gold bars weighing 933.24 grams.

No arrests have been made so far. The gold has been handed over to the Customs.

In Jalpaiguri, personnel of the BSF's 15th battalion posted at the Daikhata border outpost nabbed two Bangladeshi nationals on Friday.

Md Yakub Ali and Robbani Ali, who are from Thakurgaon district of Bangladesh, were intercepted while the duo were trying to cross the border illegally through the unfenced area from India to Bangladesh to meet their families. Indian currencies and two cellphones were found in their possession.

The two had infiltrated India in 2018 and had been working in Amritsar, Punjab.

OUR CORRESPONDENT