Berhampur: A special POCSO court Saturday sentenced a 62-year-old man to five years of imprisonment after convicting him of having unnatural sex with a minor.
The convict was identified as Prasant Pradhan, 62, of Tarasingh area in Ganjam district.
Apart from the punishment, the judge also slapped a penalty of Rs10,000 on Pradhan. In default, Pradhan has to undergo additional six months of rigorous imprisonment, the judge observed while delivering the order.
The judge also directed the secretary of district legal services authority (DLSA) to give away Rs2.62 lakh financial assistance to the survivor’s family. This was stated before mediapersons here Saturday by public prosecutor Narayan Panda, who was pleading the matter for the state government.
The judge passed the order over the police charge-sheet after examining the statements of 14 witnesses. Pradhan who was serving as an under-trial in the jail was produced in the court when the judge pronounced the order, Saturday.
The incident occurred when the minor boy was returning home from tuition under Tarasingh Police Station area, October 8, 2016. Panda noticed the boy on road and called him inside his home. There he performed unnatural sex with the minor. The boy returned home and narrated his ordeal following which the village committee convened a meeting on the issue. There, Pradhan objected to the allegations by the minor’s family and even threatened them.
Later, the boy’s father lodged a complaint at the Tarasingh Police Station. Police arrested Pradhan and produced him in court over a case registered earlier.
PNN