Rayagada: A local court here on Saturday sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of ₹4 lakh for the rape and attempted murder of a mentally ill young woman.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Alpana Swain convicted the accused, Babula Kulishika, under Section 64(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after hearing arguments from both sides and examining all evidence and testimony.
The court also ordered that in case of non-payment of the fine, the convict would face additional imprisonment.
According to case details, the incident occurred on October 31, 2024, when Kulishika forcibly abducted the victim, who suffers from a mental disorder, from the house of her elder brother, Sitaram Kulishika, in an area under Chandili police station jurisdiction. The accused raped her and subsequently attempted to murder her to destroy evidence.
A complaint was lodged at Chandili police station on November 5, 2024, by the victim’s relative, Kunu Kadraka.
Chandili police station officer Harekrushna Mundari conducted the investigation. Based on witness statements and evidence collected during the probe, the court found Kulishika guilty.
Public Prosecutor Rajan Ranjan Khatua and assisting advocate Satyanarayan Pradhan prosecuted the case on behalf of the state.
