Phulbani: A Special POCSO Court on Tuesday sentenced a youth to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a minor girl in 2016.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹11,000 on the convict, stating that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional five months of imprisonment.
The verdict was delivered after the court examined 11 witnesses. Additionally, the court directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide ₹7 lakh as compensation to the rape survivor.
According to case details, the incident occurred in April 2016 when the victim, then 13 years old, was searching for better mobile network coverage to speak to her sister in Chennai. While in a secluded spot near her village in the Daringbadi police station area of Kandhamal district, the convict dragged her behind a bush and raped her.
