Nabarangpur: A POCSO court in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district has sentenced a man to 20 years rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl.
Additional District and Session Judge-cum-special POCSO judge, Basudev Acharya, Saturday imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict Tikendra Jani and sentenced him to 20 years rigorous imprisonment, said Sachidananda Swain, special public prosecutor of the court.
The District Legal Services Authority has been directed by the court to provide compensation of Rs 14.5 lakh to the victim, said Swain.
According to the prosecution, Jani engaged in a physical relationship with the girl after luring her with a promise of marriage. He subsequently refused to marry the victim when she became pregnant.
On the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s family at the Papadahandi police station on September 12, 2024, the accused was arrested and forwarded to the court.
PTI