Bargarh: A POCSO court in Odisha’s Bargarh district Tuesday sentenced a youth to death for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl around 14 months ago.
The court convicted the accused, Prashanta Bag alias Bariha (20), under two sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The judge, Dr Kiran Kumar Pradhan, also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide Rs 15 lakh compensation to the victim’s family, public prosecutor Dyutish Acharya said.
The incident occurred November 15, 2024, when the accused, a farm labourer, took three children to an isolated place on the pretext of catching fish. He then separated the victim from the group, raped her and smashed the girl’s head with a rock. Her body was found in Soda forest under Paikmal police station area.
Investigating officer Mamta Naik, the then IIC of Padampur, said that the convict was known to the victim’s family and initially reported that the child had gone missing.
The charge sheet was filed in this case in 20 days on December 5, 2024, and charges were framed on January 20, 2025.
The public prosecutor said the court pronounced its verdict based on the statement of 37 witnesses and 55 documents.
Northern Range IG Himanshu Kumar Lal said that the judgment of the case will certainly become a deterrent against the heinous crimes against women and girls.
PTI
