Bhubaneswar: A local court on Wednesday sentenced a person to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment after holding him guilty of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in the Korei area of Jajpur district.
The 44-year-old convict, Biswanath Barik, has also been fined Rs 10,000, and he will serve a further jail term of six months if fails to deposit the amount.
“The convict used to give tuition to primary and high school students of the village and nearby areas at his home. He also conducted extra classes when the schools were closed due to the Covid-induced lockdown in 2021.
“The victim along with her friends was studying at Barik’s residence on March 16, 2021 when he took her to his bedroom under some pretext and sexually assaulted her. She luckily managed to escape from Barik’s clutches and revealed her ordeal to her parents,” said Rajendra P. Nayak, special public prosecutor.
Nayak also said that Barik had given money to the victim and threatened her to not reveal the matter to anyone.
Based on the complaint filed by the victim’s mother, the police had registered a case the next day and arrested the accused on April 4, 2021.
The court examined the statements of 19 witnesses and other exhibits before pronouncing the order. The court has also directed the district legal services authority in Jajpur to pay Rs 4 lakh to the victim under the Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme.
(IANS)
