Phulbani: A teenage girl was raped in Odisha’s Kandhamal district when she went out of her home looking better mobile network and reached a secluded spot.
The incident happened in April 2016, when the girl was 13, and nine years later, a court sentenced the accused to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
The court of Special POCSO Judge Rajesh Kumar Das in Phulbani also imposed a fine of Rs 11,000 fine on the convict, who is now 29.
If the convict fails to pay the fine, he will remain in jail for another five months, the court ordered Tuesday.
The verdict was delivered after examining 11 witnesses, said Special Public Prosecutor Asim Praharaj
The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) was directed by the court to pay Rs 7 lakh to the survivor as compensation.
The girl was trying to speak to her sister, who lived in Chennai, and in search of a better network, she reached a secluded spot near her village in the Daringbadi police station area. Finding her alone, the convict dragged her behind a bush and raped her.