Jajpur: A court in Jajpur district Tuesday sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) after convicting him for repeatedly raping his 16-year-old daughter.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Abhijit Palei, who also serves as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) judge, imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on convict Prashant Das of Binjharpur, with an additional six months’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
The court also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide Rs 5 lakh in compensation to the victim.
According to case details, Das frequently abused his wife, both verbally and physically. On one occasion, he assaulted her and drove her out of their home. She fled to her parents’ house with her two younger children, leaving her teenage daughter behind.
Taking advantage of his wife’s absence, Das began molesting his daughter at night and later raped her multiple times. He threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse. When the victim’s mother returned home November 11, 2024, the girl confided in her about the assaults.
When confronted, Das attacked both his wife and daughter. The two sought refuge at a neighbour’s house that night. The next day, November 12, Das followed them and assaulted them again, prompting villagers to alert Binjharpur police. Officers rescued the victim and her mother, arrested Das, and sent him for medical examination before presenting him in court.
Since his arrest, Das has been lodged in Jajpur District Jail as an undertrial prisoner. The judge delivered the verdict after finding Das guilty based on the testimony of 18 witnesses. Special public prosecutor Rajib Mohanty represented the state in the case.
PNN
