Kendrapara: A brick kiln labourer was sentenced to 10 years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) Thursday along with a fine of Rs 50,000 by the Ad-hoc Additional Session Judge (Fast Track Special Court) of Kendrapara for raping a 15-year-old girl. Public Prosecutor of Additional District Judge –cum-Special Judge (POCSO) Court Manoj Kumar Sahoo said the 22-year-old youth was convicted by the court for impregnating and making the victim an unwed mother. The convict has been identified as Pradip Kissan of Kanchanpur village under Kesinga police station in Kalahandi district. According to Sahoo, Pradip, who was staying in a rented house near the victim’s house, developed a relationship with the girl. The accused had raped the minor girl several times and made her pregnant. The victim’s mother, after knowing the incident, lodged an FIR at Marshaghai police station in August 2023. Marshaghai police had arrested the accused August 14, 2023.
Later, the victim girl delivered a baby boy. To establish the identity of the biological father, police also made DNA profiling tests of the child, the unwed mother, and the accused. While adjudging the under Section 376(3) of IPC and under Section 4 of POCSO Act, Ad-hoc Additional Session Judge (Fast Track Special Court) of Kendrapara, Tribikram Keshari Chinhara, convicted the youth and sentenced him to undergo 10 years RI and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on him. The judge ordered that the convict would be imprisoned for one more year if he failed to deposit the fine amount. The court also recommended to the government to provide a compensation of `4 lakh to the victim and ensure steps for proper rehabilitation of the child.