Kendrapara, June 26 (UNI) The Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Court Kendrapara today sentenced a youth to 20 years of Rigorous Imprisonment and a fineamount of Rs 65,000 for allegedly kidnapping and raping a minor girlThe youth, wrongfully confined a 16-years old girl under Patakura Police Station limit in October 2024 and committed rape, Manoj Kumar Sahoo, the Special Public Prosecutor of Additional District Judge –cum-special judge (POCSO) said.
The convicted youth has been identified as Swadhin Digal(19), of Sadanmendi village under Sadar PS of Kandhamal district.
Sahoo said Swadhin Digal allegedly kidnapped a 16-year-old girl under the Patkura police limit on October 8, 2024.
The victim’s father lodged a complaint in this regard at the Patkura police station.
Acting on the FIR, Patkura PS registered under Section 137(2) of BNS,2023 and started investigation.
The Patkura police, with the help of their Bhubaneswar counterparts, managed to rescue the girl from a house in Nayapalli area of Bhubaneswar on November 18last and apprehended the accused youth from the spot.
The police later recorded the statement of the victim under Section 180 of BNSS and also produced the victim before the court to record her statement under Section 183 of BNS.
Both the victim and the accused were sent for medical tests and the police later charged the accused under Section 137(2),64(2)(m),65(1),127(4),296,351(2)of BNS,2023; Section 6 ofPOCSO Act and produced before the court.
While adjudging the case, Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Court, Prangya Paramita Raula sentenced Swadhin Digal to 20 years of Rigorous Imprisonment and a fine amount of Rs 65,000.
The judge ordered that if the convict failed to deposit the fine amount, he would further undergo another year of Rigorous Imprisonment..
The court also recommended that the government provide a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the minor victim and directed the Secretary of DLSA, Kendrapara, to take steps for sanctioning the compensation amount to the victim.
