Baripada: A court in Mayurbhanj district Tuesday sentenced two men to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting them of raping a 16-year-old girl in 2016. Mayurbhanj Special POCSO Court judge Sumita Jena also imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on both convicts, said special public prosecutor Abhinna Kumar Pattnaik. If the convicts fail to pay the fine amount, they will have to undergo another six years of rigorous imprisonment, Pattnaik informed. The court also directed the Mayurbhanj District Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 4 lakh to the girl’s family as compensation.
The incident took place February 5, 2016, at Badhunia village when the victim was alone at home. Both the men had forcibly taken her to a nearby bush and committed the crime. The family members of the girl lodged a police complaint at Bisoi police station following which a case was registered against the duo under the POCSO Act and relevant provisions of the IPC. The judgment was based on the statement of the girl, other witnesses, and the medical report, Pattnaik said