Sundaragada: A Special POCSO Court in Sundaragada district Wednesday sentenced two men to life imprisonment for abducting and gang-raping a minor girl in Talasara police station area in April 2025. Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special POCSO Court Judge Gyana Ranjan Pattnaik convicted Ankit Apat, 23, and Lulendu Naik, 34, and imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 each. They will undergo an additional year of rigorous imprisonment if they fail to pay the fine. According to the case records, the minor was returning home with friends at around 2am April 21, 2025, after attending a feast, when three persons allegedly arrived in a four-wheeler and abducted her.
Two of her companions managed to escape. The prosecution said two of the accused sexually assaulted the girl inside the vehicle while a minor was driving. They allegedly took her to another location and assaulted her again before abandoning her. Acting on the complaint, Talasara police registered a case of abduction and gangrape. Sub-inspector Suprabha Subhadarshini Behera led the investigation. Three persons were detained, following which the two adults were arrested, and the minor was sent to a juvenile correctional facility in Raurkela. A scientific team collected evidence, while medical and DNA examinations were conducted.
The court considered the chargesheet, medical reports, other evidence and testimonies of 28 witnesses. The court also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide Rs 10 lakh in compensation to the victim. Special Public Prosecutor Prabhat Kumar Nanda represented the prosecution.
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