Balasore: A special POCSO court Wednesday sentenced a youth to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) after convicting him for the abduction and sexual torture of a minor.
The convict was identified as Akash Mallick, 21, a resident of Basta block.
The additional district and sessions judge-cum-special POCSO judge Ranjan Kumar Sutar also slapped a penalty of Rs 4,000 on the convict, apart from the punishment.
In default, Mallick has to undergo additional two years of imprisonment, the judge observed while delivering the order, special public prosecutor Pranab Kumar Panda appearing for the state government said.
The judge passed the order after examining statements recorded by 11 witnesses and 21 documents relating to the case. The judge also asked the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to give away Rs 4 lakh financial assistance to the survivor, Panda said.
According to reports, the survivor a native of Basta block was studying in Plus II Arts in a local college. She left home to appear her test at the examination centre in Fakir Mohan College in Balasore but did not return home, May 23, 2022.
Family members lodged a complaint at Sahadevkhunta Police Station after they failed to trace her despite their best possible efforts. In their complaint, the survivor’s father alleged that a village youth Akash Mallick used to call his daughter on her mobile phone and threaten her using slangs. He even threatened to hurl acid on her if she did not marry her. Acting on the plaint, police arrested Mallick and produced him in court.
PNN