Koraput: In a landmark verdict underscoring swift justice under the POCSO Act, the Jeypore Fast Track Special Court on Friday sentenced a 30-year-old man to 22 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for the rape of a 6-year-old girl in the Bandhugaon police station area. The entire trial was concluded within a remarkable 165 days of the crime.
Ad-hoc Additional District and Sessions Judge Prajna Nalini Mishra convicted the accused, Wenka Pidika, based on the testimony of 15 witnesses and 44 documents. The court found him guilty under Section 4(2) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 6 of the same act.
For each of the two sections, Pidika was sentenced to 22 years of rigorous imprisonment, to run concurrently. He was also fined a total of ₹40,000. The court directed that if the fine is not paid, the convict will undergo an additional 12 months of imprisonment.
The court further directed that the collected fine amount, combined with government compensation, be provided to the survivor as compassionate relief totaling ₹6,00,000.
This amount will be disbursed through the District Legal Services Authority.
The crime occurred on July 6, 2025. The victim’s father had left her at a relative’s house near a field while he worked. Upon returning in the evening and bringing the girl home, the parents learned of the assault the next morning when the child informed them that Pidika had called her to his hut and raped her.
An enraged family confronted and assaulted the accused before the father filed a formal written complaint at Bandhugaon police station.
After IIC Prasanna Kumar Mishra initiated the preliminary investigation, the case was flagged under the “red flag” category for serious crimes against women and children. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Pushpanjali Ningi took over the investigation, arrested Pidika, and filed the chargesheet in court within seven days—a key factor in the expeditious trial.
Special Public Prosecutor Gayatri Devi represented the state in the case, which was heard by the Fast Track Special Court designed for time-bound disposal of such sensitive cases.
