Sundargarh: The Sundargarh Special POCSO Court on Tuesday pronounced its verdict in a 2023 case of rape and trafficking of a minor girl from Lefripada police station area.
The court found all four accused guilty based on witness statements and police evidence.
Two of the accused were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000 each, while the other two were sentenced to 3 years in prison and a fine of Rs 5,000 each.
The court identified the accused sentenced to 20 years as Madhukar Tandia alias Mitu and Hemant Majhi alias Khairu, both from Sadar police station area. The other two convicted are Shubham Dharua and Sanatan Kisan alias Mana.
According to the prosecution, in 2023 the four accused raped a 16-year-old minor girl from Lefripada. They later took her to Mathura in Uttar Pradesh on the pretext of providing her a job. The girl was subsequently rescued.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim’s family, Lefripada police arrested all four accused and filed charges. The case was tried in the Special POCSO Court.
The court said the stringent sentence was pronounced considering the gravity of the crime involving sexual assault and trafficking of a minor.
