Jajpur: A special POCSO court today sentenced 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a minor girl at Binjharpur area in Jajpur district one year ago.
The POCSO judge Abhijit Palai pronounced the judgment based on the statement of 21 witnesses and other documents.
The court also fined him Rs 70,000 and ordered to undergo 21 months more imprisonment in case of default in payment of the fine.
The court has directed the District Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 7 lakh compensation to the survivor.
The convict, Prakash Mallik had sexually assaulted a nine-year-old girl in an abandoned house in 2022.
The victim’s mother filed a complaint at Binjharpur police station. Based on the complaint, police registered a case and arrested him. Section 376(a) of IPC and POCSO Section 6 were slapped against him.