Anugola: Police secured a major conviction in the 2024 Anugola gangrape case, with a Fast Track Special Court in Anugola sentencing all four accused to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for the sexual assault of a 21-year-old woman and a minor girl.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fast Track Special Court), Anugola, Friday convicted the four accused under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Besides the prison term, the court also imposed fines on each of the convicts under the relevant provisions of law. The convicted persons have been identified as Jitu Sahu, Hrudaya Chandra Pradhan, Asit Kumar Sahu and Deepu alias Dibyaranjan Amant.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place August 6, 2024, when the 21-year-old woman and the minor girl were allegedly forced to consume alcohol before being gangraped in Anugola area. Following the registration of the case, Anugola police launched an immediate investigation and arrested all four accused.
The investigation was conducted by Sub-Inspector Sanghamitra Satpathy under the direct supervision of Anugola Superintendent of Police Rahul Jain. The chargesheet was filed within 59 days of the registration of the case.
The prosecution relied on scientific evidence, witness testimonies and other corroborative material collected during the investigation. After examining the evidence, the court found all four accused guilty and awarded them 20 years of rigorous imprisonment along with fines.
Police said the conviction was made possible due to a prompt, scientific and victim-centric investigation, supported by the timely filing of the charge sheet and strong forensic evidence. Odisha Police reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards heinous crimes against wom en and children, stating that the judgment reflects its commitment to ensuring speedy, evidence-based investigations and securing stringent punishment for offenders through the judicial process.
