Jeypore: In a significant ruling, the Special POCSO Court in Jeypore today sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for the brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in the Kotpad area last year. The court convicted Narsingh Bhumia of Kusumi village, bringing a close to a case that had sent shockwaves through the Koraput district.
Special POCSO Court pronounced the verdict, holding Bhumia guilty under stringent sections of the law, including Section 376 AB of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which mandates a minimum of life imprisonment for the rape of a child below twelve years. He was also convicted under Sections 366 (kidnapping) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC.
The conviction was based on the compelling evidence presented during the trial, which included the testimonies of 17 witnesses and the examination of 24 documents. The court sentenced Bhumia to rigorous imprisonment (RI) for life and imposed a fine of ₹31,000. The court further ruled that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional 13 months of rigorous imprisonment. In a crucial rehabilitation directive, the court ordered that the fine amount of ₹31,000, along with a compensation of ₹7 lakh, be provided to the victim through the District Legal Services Authority.
According to the case details, the horrific incident occurred on the evening of May 24, 2024. The victim was playing on a shop verandah with her elder sister when the accused, Narsingh Bhumia, lured her away by promising to buy her ice cream. He then took her to an abandoned house and committed the crime. After the assault, he abandoned the child on the road near her house and fled. The traumatized girl, experiencing pain, later informed her mother, who lodged a formal complaint at the Kotpad police station the following day.
The Kotpad police conducted a swift investigation, arrested the accused, and filed a charge sheet. The case was successfully prosecuted on behalf of the state by Special Public Prosecutor Gayatri Devi. The verdict has been welcomed by legal circles and child rights activists as a stern and timely affirmation of justice under the POCSO Act.
