Nabarangpur: Additional District and Sessions Court, Nabarangpur has sentenced David Garda to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in a rape case and imposed a fine of ₹30,000 on him. The court also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide ₹7 lakh as compensation to the victim.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Basudev Acharya pronounced the verdict after examining the evidence of 18 witnesses. The court ordered that the convict would undergo an additional year of imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine.
According to the prosecution, the victim had lodged a written complaint at Nabarangpur police station on October 31, 2025, alleging that Garda had sexually assaulted her and subsequently threatened her.
The accused, who worked as a sound system operator under the victim’s father, allegedly posed as a psychologist and counselled her, claiming he could help her overcome mental distress. His frequent visits to the victim’s house reportedly led to increased interaction between them.
The complaint stated that Garda initially hugged and kissed the victim against her will. In March 2024, when she was alone at home, he allegedly raped her and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident.
When the victim subsequently missed her menstrual cycle, she informed the accused, who allegedly gave her a pregnancy test kit. He later made her consume soda water and papaya, following which her menstrual cycle resumed, the complaint stated.
Even after the victim moved to Bhubaneswar for higher studies, the accused allegedly continued to force her to meet him. In September 2025, he reportedly assured her that marriage would resolve their problems and obtained her signature on certain papers.
The prosecution further alleged that the accused threatened to make the victim’s photographs viral on social media if her father did not send her to him. He later posted photographs of her parents on Instagram.
Following an investigation, Nabarangpur police arrested Garda and filed a charge sheet in the case, registered as TR-06/25 before the court.
Special Public Prosecutor Mrutyunjay Maharana represented the government during the trial.
