Bhubaneswar: A fast-track court in Odisha’s Anugola district on Friday sentenced four accused to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in connection with the gang rape of a young woman and a minor girl, delivering a significant verdict in the high-profile case.
The Anugola Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fast Track Special Court) convicted the accused under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court also imposed fines on the convicts under relevant sections.
The case relates to an incident on August 6, 2024, when a 21-year-old woman and a minor girl were allegedly gang-raped after being forced to consume alcohol in the Anugola area. Following the registration of a case, police launched an investigation and arrested the accused — Jeetu Sahu, Hridaya Chandra Pradhan, Asit Kumar Sahu and Deepu alias Divya Ranjan Amant.
The investigation was conducted by Sub-Inspector Sanghmitra Satapathy under the supervision of Anugola Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Jain. Police filed the charge sheet within 59 days of registering the case.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on scientific evidence, witness statements and other material collected during the investigation. Based on the evidence presented before the court, all four accused were found guilty and awarded a 20-year RI sentence.
Police officials said the timely investigation and submission of the charge sheet helped ensure speedy justice in the case.
The Odisha Police said the verdict reinforces its zero-tolerance approach towards crimes against women and children and highlighted its focus on speedy, victim-centric and evidence-based investigations to ensure strict punishment for offenders.
