Kendrapara: A local court in Kendrapara district sentenced a 70-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) on Tuesday for raping a 9-year-old girl last year.
Additional District Judge-cum-Special Judge Pragyan Paramita Roul convicted Batakrushna Sahoo under Section 65 (Rape on a woman under sixteen years of age) and Section 331 (house-trespass or house-breaking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), alongside Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Sahoo. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional year of imprisonment. Furthermore, the judge directed the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) to provide the victim with a compensation of Rs 6 lakh.
The horrific crime involved Sahoo, who resided within the jurisdiction of Pattamundai police station, raping the minor girl – a Class 3 student at a village school. Sahoo had threatened the victim to prevent her from disclosing the assault to her parents.
The court delivered the judgment after meticulously evaluating evidence, including the testimony of seven witnesses – among them the survivor – and the medico-legal report.
