Bhubaneswar: A court in Odisha’s Kendrapada district has sentenced a man to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a minor girl in Pattamundai in 2023. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict, Arjun Sethi.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act pronounced the verdict on Tuesday after the conclusion of the trial.
Earlier, another accused in the case, Gauranga Sethi, was also sentenced to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment for his involvement in the crime. Meanwhile, the third accused is reportedly still absconding.
According to reports, the gang rape took place in Pattamundai in 2023, when the minor girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by the accused. The case subsequently went through a lengthy trial, culminating in the court’s verdict nearly two years after the incident.
With Arjun Sethi’s conviction and sentencing, two of the three accused have now been awarded 25 years of rigorous imprisonment each. The third accused is yet to be apprehended, according to reports.
