Phulbani: The Additional District Judge Court (POCSO) in Phulbani in Kandhamal district sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for repeatedly raping a minor girl since 2018.
The court handed down the sentence after convicting Banamali Pradhan for the rape of the girl, a Class 8 student from the Tikabali area.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh on Pradhan. Should he fail to pay the fine, he will face an additional 13 months of imprisonment. The court also directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide Rs 6 lakh in compensation to the rape survivor.
According to the case record, the girl, who was studying with Pradhan’s sister, was first raped by Pradhan in 2018. The abuse came to light in 2022 when the girl fell ill, prompting her family to file a complaint with the police. Pradhan was subsequently arrested.
The POCSO court’s verdict was based on witness statements and other evidence presented during the trial.
