Bhubaneswar: A Pocso court in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday sentenced a 24-year-old man to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for the rape of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in June 2024.
Adhoc Additional Sessions Judge (Pocso), Bhubaneswar, Saroj Kumar Sahoo delivered the verdict after examining statements from 13 witnesses and reviewing 84 documents presented during the trial, according to government counsel.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict, identified as Santosh Khuntia. Khuntia will face an additional six months in jail if he fails to pay the fine, the government counsel added.
In a separate directive, the court recommended that the District Legal Services Authority, Khurda, provide compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the minor victim.
According to police records, the incident took place in June 2024 within the jurisdiction of the Airfield police station area. The victim was playing outside her home when the accused lured her and took her to his residence, where he committed the assault.
The victim’s mother lodged a formal complaint at the Airfield police station on June 30, 2024. Police arrested Khuntia immediately and produced him before the concerned court, officials said.
