In a sensational gang-rape and murder case, Sessions Judge V Jayashree, convicting an accused, awarded him life sentence and slapped a penalty of Rs 30,000. In default of meeting the penalty sum, the convict has to remain in jail for another 18 months, the order said.
On June 16, 1995, a minor girl of Kadam Sahi village under Nilgiri police station was gangraped and then murdered by a group of miscreants. A case had been registered under 376, 377 and 302 of IPC against the accused after a complaint was filed by the victim’s maternal uncle Padmalochan Sahu.
The prime accused Umesh Rana had absconded for 14 years and was arrested from Jajpur. Earlier another accused Sanatan Behera had been acquitted due to lack of proof. On the fateful day, the victim had gone to the village tank for taking bath along with her younger sister, when she was kidnapped and later raped and killed.Her family members had found her body near a bush with brutal injury marks a few hours later.