Baripada: In a significant judgment, the Mayurbhanj Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Fast Track POCSO Court in Baripada on Thursday sentenced a 50-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a minor girl.
The convict, identified as Sk Nasiruddin of Badadundu village under Bahalda police station limits, was also fined ₹10,000. The court ruled that failure to pay the fine would lead to an additional six months of imprisonment.
The verdict was pronounced by Judge Santosh Kumar Nayak, who found the accused guilty under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after examining the statements of witnesses, the medical report, and the police investigation findings.
According to case records, the incident occurred on March 8, 2021, when the victim, a minor girl, was studying at her uncle’s house during school hours. The accused repeatedly raped her and threatened to kill her if she revealed the matter to anyone. Traumatized by the incident, the girl remained silent for two years. After completing her matriculation, she finally disclosed the assault to her family, who lodged a written complaint at Bahalda police station on March 9, 2023.
Acting on the complaint, police registered a case, recorded the victim’s statement, and arrested the accused. The investigation established the offence, leading to the court trial and subsequent conviction.
The case was prosecuted by government advocate Manoranjan Pattnaik, who presented the evidence on behalf of the state.
