Bhubaneswar: A Special POCSO Court in Baripada on Thursday sentenced a 70-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl in 2021.Special POCSO Judge Chinmaya Mishra also imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 on the convict, Jagannath Mohanty.
The court said he will have to undergo an additional three months in jail if he fails to pay the fine. According to Special Public Prosecutor Aswini Kumar Mohanty, the incident took place on December 11, 2021.
Mohanty, a resident of Sanahatanabeda village under Badampahar police limits, allegedly assaulted the girl while she was grazing cows near the Dhanipat football field.The prosecution told the court that the accused gagged the minor, threatened to kill her if she spoke about it, and continued to abuse her repeatedly.
The matter came to light months later when the victim’s family noticed changes in her health and lodged a written complaint at Badampahar police station. Police registered the case on July 1, 2022, arrested Mohanty, and produced him in court.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on the victim’s statement, testimonies of 22 witnesses, and a key DNA report to establish the charges. Finding the evidence conclusive, the court convicted Mohanty under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 376 of the IPC and pronounced the 20-year jail term.
