: Special POCSO Judge here Ranjan Kumar Sutar on Monday sentenced a person to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) for kidnapping and raping a minor girl in Baleswar district.
The court also asked the convict Rajij Lochan Das (28), a resident of village Simlipal under the Singla police station in the district, to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 and in default to undergo another two years’ jail term.
The mother of the victim had lodged an FIR with the Basta police in November 2022 alleging that Rajib kidnapped and sexually assaulted her daughter several times after blackmailing her. The accused was a close relative of their family; and finding opportunities, he committed the crime, she alleged.
Following a probe by police, the accused was arrested and forwarded to court.
“The accused was tried under several Sections of IPC and POCSO Act. After examining 16 witnesses and 36 exhibits, the court awarded different jail terms and penalties which would run concurrently. Further, the court ordered Rs 4-lakh compensation to be paid to the victim through the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA),” said Special Public Prosecutor Pranab Panda.