KENDRAPARA/BARIPADA: The additional district sessions judge-cum-special judge of fast track court on Thursday sentenced a 28-year-old man to 20 years imprisonment for raping a minor girl in a village within Rajnagar limits of Kendrapara district four years back. The accused Naveen Sethi was also slapped with Rs 50,000 fine.
In November 2018, Naveen had raped a 15-year-old girl in a village field. He was arrested two days later after the victim’s mother filed a complaint. Special public prosecutor Manoj Sahoo said the judgment was passed after the survivor and 14 witnesses were deposed in the court.
In a similar case, presiding officer of Special POCSO Court in Baripada, Sumita Jena awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) to a 74-year-old man for raping a minor girl in April 2018. The accused Darshan Mohanta, a resident of Balijodi village within Jharpokharia police limits, had committed the crime when the 17-year-old girl had gone to graze goats.
The matter came to the fore when the girl’s family found that she was pregnant. After the victim narrated her ordeal, her family filed a police complaint. A case was registered under section 6 of POCSO Act and the accused was arrested the next day.
Public prosecutor AK Pattnayak said the court pronounced the judgement after considering statements of 20 witnesses and medical reports. The court also directed the government to provide Rs 7 lakh compensation to the victim as legal aid.