Keonjhar: A fast-track court in Keonjhar on Thursday sentenced a 53-year-old man to 20 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) after convicting for raping a minor girl.
The court also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on convict Company Paduria of Badamasinabila village under Ghatagaon police limits of Keonjhar district.
In default of payment of the fine, Paduria has to undergo more than six months of imprisonment, the court ordered.
The court pronounced the sentence based on statements of 16 witnesses and other evidence.
On the other hand, the court has ordered the District Legal Service Authority to pay a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the victim in the shape of a term deposit.
According to the details of the case, on April 9, 2023, the victim, a five-year-old was playing with her friends while her parents had gone to collect mahua flowers from the nearby forest. Taking advantage of the situation Paduria had raped the minor girl.
After returning from the forest the victim’s parents saw her crying and profusely bleeding.
She was immediately rushed to Ghatagoan Govt hospital. However, as her condition was critical she was shifted to the district headquarter hospital at Keonjhar.
The parents of the victim lodged a written complaint at the Ghatagaon police station in this regard. Following the complaint police arrested Paduria and forwarded him to court.
