Kendrapara: A local court in Kendrapara Thursday sentenced a youth to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 65,000 for the kidnapping and rape of a minor girl, officials said.
The youth, wrongfully confined a 16-years-old girl under Patakura Police Station limits in October 2024 and committed rape, Manoj Kumar Sahoo, the Special Public Prosecutor of Additional District Judge –cum-special judge (POCSO) said.
The convicted youth has been identified as Swadhin Digal(19), from Sadanmendi village under Sadar police station of Kandhamal district. Sahoo said Swadhin Digal allegedly kidnapped a 16-year-old girl under Patkura police limit October 8, 2024.
The victim’s father lodged a complaint in this regard at Patkura police station. Acting on the FIR, Patkura police registered under section 137(2) of BNS, 2023 and started investigation. The Patkura police, with the help of their Bhubaneswar counterparts, managed to rescue the girl from a house in Nayapalli area of Bhubaneswar November 18, 2024 and apprehended the accused youth from the spot.
The police later recorded the statement of the victim under section 180 of BNSS and also produced the victim before the court to record her statement under section 183 of BNS.
Both the victim and the accused were sent for medical test and police later chargesheeted the accused under sections 137(2),64(2)(m),65(1),127(4),296,351(2)of BNS, 2023; section 6 of POCSO Act and produced before the court.
While adjudging the case, Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Court, Prangya Paramita Raula sentenced Swadhin Digal to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 65,000.
The judge ordered that if the convict failed to deposit the fine amount, he would further undergo another year of rigorous imprisonment.
The court also recommended to the government to provide a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the minor victim and directed the Secretary of DLSA, Kendrapara, to take steps for sanctioning the compensation amount to the victim.
UNI
