Berhampur: Special POCSO Court of Judge Pranati Pattnaik Friday sentenced two youths to life imprisonment after convicting them in a case of gangrape and attempted murder of a minor girl in 2021. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on each of the convicts, identified as Ruturaj Behera, 33, and Hemant Behera, 31, residents of Golanthara police station area.
In default, they have to undergo an additional one-year jail term each, the judge ordered. The court also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide Rs 15 lakh compensation to the victim. According to the case diary, the incident took place January 28 in 2021, when the victim, a nine-year-old girl, was playing with her brother on the village road. The two accused, who were married, lured the girl into a house with the promise of chocolates, where they took turns to rape the girl. Hearing her cries, her brother raised an alarm, attracting the attention of the villagers. In order to silence the girl, the accused slit her throat and hit her head with a stone before fleeing.
However, villagers managed to catch them. The unconscious girl was rescued and taken to MKCG Medical College and Hospital here. Police reached the scene and arrested the duo after the villagers handed them over. The victim’s family filed a complaint at the police station, leading to the registration of a case (27/21). A stone found at the crime scene was seized by the police. The accused were subsequently remanded to court. After receiving treatment at MKCG, the victim was transferred to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack due to the severity of her injuries. The victim has been left incapacitated after losing eyesight and hearing ability completely. The judge delivered the verdict after examining the testimonies of 25 witnesses and police chargesheet, said Public Prosecutor Narayana Panda.