Balasore: The POCSO court in Balasore held a rape accused guilty, sentenced him to life and slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on him Friday.
Adjudicating the case, the POCSO court Judge Girija Prasad Mohapatra also ruled that the guilty would have to undergo one more year in prison if he failed to pay the penalty.
Special public prosecutor Pranab Panda said it was a red flag case and the court awarded the punishment holding the accused guilty after cross-examining 12 witnesses and examining 18 documents.
Panda said Abhimanyu Ghosh (60), who was staying in a rented accommodation near the house of the victim, sexually assaulted the seven-year-old girl August 18, 2018 when her parents were away and she was watching television at her home alone at a place in Jaleswar block.
Police registered a case and arrested the accused under POCSO Act after the parents of the girl lodged an FIR with the local Police.
UNI
