Additional Sessions Judge and Special Judge POCSO Ajanta Sadangi on Friday convicted a 26-year-old man who married a 14-year-old minor girl after kidnapping her, under various sections of IPC, POCSO and Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
The judge while pronounced different quantum of punishments for different charges yet she mentioned that the period of imprisonment would run concurrently.
The convict, Anirudha Patra of Basta police station limits would undergo 10 years of imprisonment, pay penalty of Rs 20,000 and in default another one year term.
The convict had kidnapped the victim in April 2016 and subsequently after marrying her in a temple in Baripada was residing with her in Mayurbhanj.
After getting information of child marriage, the Child Welfare Committee had rescued her. The matter was probed by Child Development Programme Officer (CDPO) Basta.
Special Public Prosecutor Pranab Kumar Panda, who was conducting the case, said the court besides cross-examining 13 witnesses also verified relevant documents as evidences before pronouncing the verdict.