Kendrapara: A 28-year-old man, identified as Bikram Biswal, was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a minor girl in Odisha’s Kendrapara district.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge under the POCSO Act, Prangya Parmita Raul, has sentenced Biswal to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment as well as imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on him.
Special Public Prosecutor Manoj Kumar Sahoo said Biswal, a resident of Praharajpur under Rajnagar police limits in Kendrapara district, had kidnapped a 16-year-old girl October 31, 2021, and confined her at his residence.
When the girl’s father tried to rescue her, he was allegedly abused and threatened by Biswal’s family members. Following the complaint, Rajnagar police rescued the victim and arrested Biswal.
After examining 17 witnesses, the court found him guilty and sentenced him accordingly Thursday. However, the court acquitted his elderly parents due to lack of evidence.
The judge also recommended a government compensation of Rs.6 lakh for the victim’s rehabilitation and directed the Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Kendrapara, to process the compensation.
UNI
