Phulbani: Adjudicating a case of rape and murder of a minor girl, additional district and sessions judge of Phulbani fast-track POCSO court Bhaskar Chandra Sahu convicted the accused and sentenced him to life imprisonment, Thursday. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on convict Babula Mallick of Salaguda under Tikabali police limits in Kandhamal district. Non-payment of penalty will invite an additional jail term of 15 months, the court ruled.
According to the case diary, Babula broke into the house of the 12-year-old girl June 28, 2017 night, kidnapped her and took her to a secluded place where he raped her . The girl insisted on marrying her following which the duo left the house next morning. They hid themselves inside a culvert near Basajargi village.
However, a local spotted them following which the duo went inside a forest and stayed on a rocky floor surrounded by bushes. As the girl again insisted on marrying her, the accused Babula strangled her to death and dumped the body there.
The victim’s family members filed a police complaint in this regard. Police investigated the matter and detained the accused Babula. During interrogation the accused confessed to the crime. He said that he wanted to marry the girl, but could not do so because she was a minor and that no one would accept them even if they tied the nuptial knot.