Bhubaneswar: A Special POCSO Court in Kandhamal district has sentenced a 31-year-old youth to life imprisonment for raping a six-year-old girl.
The incident occurred on April 16, 2025, in the Gochhapada police station area. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 60,000 on the convict Anant Kudei, and an additional 18 months of imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
The District Legal Services Authority has been directed to provide Rs 7 lakh as compassionate assistance to the victim. The case was investigated by Sub-Inspector Chiranjeev Behera and handled by Public Prosecutor Asim Kumar Prahraj under the supervision of Kandhamal SP B. C. Harish.
The conviction was achieved in just 65 days, based on testimony from 14 witnesses, including police, doctors, and medical reports, such as DNA profiling.
