Bhadrak: The Bhadrak Additional District Judge and Fast Track Court, functioning as the POCSO Court, on Thursday sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹20,000 for the kidnapping and rape of a minor girl in 2021.
Additional District Judge Minati Panda delivered the verdict after evaluating the evidence and witness testimonies in the case. The court convicted Manoj Pradhan, a resident of Bideipur village. In the event of default in payment of the fine, the convict will undergo an additional six months of imprisonment.
The court further directed the District Legal Services Authority to pay ₹5 lakh as compensation to the victim.
According to the prosecution, the minor girl from Bideipur village left her home on May 2, 2021, stating she was going to Basudevpur but did not return.
After an unsuccessful search by her family, a written complaint was lodged at the Kashia Marine Police Station on May 6, 2021. Police initially registered a case under IPC Section 365 (Case No. 59/21).
During the investigation, the girl was rescued from the accused in Bengaluru city. Manoj Pradhan was arrested and remanded to judicial custody, while the victim was reunited with her parents. A charge sheet was subsequently filed against the accused under Sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (kidnapping or abducting a woman to compel her marriage), and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Special Public Prosecutor Tushar Jena represented the victim and the complainant during the trial.
