Balasore: Special judge POCSO Ranjan Kumar Sutar Saturday convicted a 28-year-old rape accused and sentenced him to undergo 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) along with a fine of Rs8,000. The court further ordered another two years of RI in case the convict failed to pay the penalty amount.
The convict, identified as Pravat Sethi, a native of Kamakhyanagar under Dhenkanal district, had allegedly kidnapped a 15-year-old minor girl and sexually assaulted her after lodging her in Puri town.
The father of the victim, a resident of Anantabad Sasan lodged a complaint against Pravat in Khaira police station, alleging that the latter had kidnapped his daughter when she went to computer class.
Based on the FIR registered July 29, 2023, the accused was arrested, and the victim girl was rescued from Puri town.
The accused was tried under various sections, including 376, 376(2)(0), 363 and 366 of the IPC, and 6 of the POCSO Act.
The court, after examining 12 witnesses and 18 exhibits, pronounced the verdict Saturday.
The court also ordered for Rs4 lakh compensation to the victim to be paid through the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Special Public Prosecutor Pranab Kumar Panda said.
PNN