Jeypore: The Special Fast-track POCSO Court here today awarded 23 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) to a man for abducting and raping a minor girl in 2014.
Adhoc Additional Sessions judge Pradip Kumar Sasmal convicted and sentenced one Kailash Gouda, a resident of Mathili police station jurisdiction in Malkangiri district to 23 years RI for abducting and raping a 17-year-old college student on October 10, 2014.
The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on Gouda. On failure to pay the fine, Gouda has to undergo RI for another 15 months, the court has ruled.
The court further ordered the District Legal Services Authority to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the victim on behalf of the State government.
The court passed the order after examining the statements of eight witnesses.
According to the proceedings of the case, on October 10, 2014, the 17-year-old did not return home after attending college. Family members frantically searched for her in vain.
The victim’s family lodged a complaint with the Borigumma police station in this connection.
The police during the course of its investigation came to know that Gouda had abducted the victim and was raping her while keeping her in confinement at his house at Chaulamendi village.
Police rescued the victim from Gouda’s house in Chaulamendi. The victim was raped by Gouda for 25 days.
