Bhubaneswar: The Keonjhar Special POCSO Court here today awarded 20 years’ imprisonment each to two persons in the 2017 sensational gang rape of a minor girl under Ghatagaon police limits in Koraput district.
Special POCSO Court judge Subhashree Tripathy sentenced Baral Nayak and Kedar Nayak to 20 years in jail after convicting them of rape.
In addition to that, the court slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of them. On failure to pay the fine amount they have to undergo an additional one year of imprisonment, the Court ordered.
Further, the Court ordered the District Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 5 lakh as assistance to the victim.
The Court pronounced the verdict after examining the statements of 20 witnesses.
According to the details of the case, a cultural programme ‘pala’ was being held at Dalangpani village under Ghatagaon police limits on April 19, 2017.
The victim, a minor girl along with others had gone to watch the ‘pala’.
While the victim had gone to attend nature’s call, seizing on the opportunity Baral and Kedar took turns and raped her.
On the next day, relatives of the victim lodged a written complaint at the Ghatagaon police station in this connection.
Based on the complaint, police arrested Baral and Kedar.
