A court in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district sentenced a 35-year-old man to 20 years in prison for raping a minor girl. Apart from this, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. Special Public Prosecutor Manoranjan Patnaik said the fast-track court of Justice Santosh Kumar Nayak, while sentencing the convicts to jail, had directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide compensation to the victims.
Prosecutors said the incident occurred on July 8, 2017. That night, a 15-year-old girl who was sleeping with her grandmother was kidnapped by criminals together with one of his friends. They then forced her to a nearby forest and gang-raped her. Later, villagers rushed to the scene after hearing screams and shouts. Seeing the men, both the accused ran away. The person then informed Bisoi Police Station.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim’s family, the police registered a case against the two accused under relevant sections of the Indian Judicial Code and the POCSO Act. During the investigation of the case, one suspect has been captured and the other suspect is still absconding. At the same time, during the court hearing, the arrested defendant was declared guilty based on the victim’s confession, 18 witnesses and medical reports.
Let us tell you that last month, a court in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district sentenced a 35-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a 4-year-old girl. The incident occurred in January 2019 in a village under the jurisdiction of Badasahi police station when the girl was home alone. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the perpetrators. The criminals lured the girl with cookies and took her to a nearby forest on a bicycle.
Special prosecutor Manaranjan Patnaik said the criminal made the victim a victim of his desires in the forest. After saying this, he left her and ran away. A few days later, he was captured by the police. POCSO special court judge Santosh Kumar Nayak sentenced the convict to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000. The decision was based on input from the victim and 11 witnesses.
