SAMBALPUR: A special POCSO court in Sambalpur has awarded rigorous imprisonment to convicts in rape cases on Saturday, reaffirming the judiciary’s zero tolerance towards such crimes.
In the first case, a 25-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape of a six-year-old girl from Sundargarh. The child, who had come with her mother to Sambalpur to attend a marriage, was abducted while playing with other children on the evening of April 27, 2024. She was later found near her maternal uncle’s house, lying in a pool of blood, bleeding profusely and bearing injuries on her face.
The victim was admitted to VIMSAR, Burla, for 20 days and remains under medical treatment even a year after the incident.
In the second case, a 29-year-old man was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to sexually assault a six-year-old girl in April 2019.
Northern Range IG Himanshu Lal said both cases were closely monitored by Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo, underlining that conviction, not just arrest, serves as the real deterrent in POCSO cases.
SP Bhamoo added that in the past month alone, five major convictions have been secured in Sambalpur district in cases relating to women and child safety, reflecting the police’s commitment to ensuring a society free from fear and oppression.
In a case under Ainthapali police station from May 12, 2024, the accused was awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000 under provisions of the IPC, POCSO, and IT Act. In another Ainthapali PS case from June 10, 2023, involving the kidnapping and rape of a minor girl, the accused was sentenced to 20 years RI. In a Dhama PS case of June 10, 2015, the court sentenced the accused to 15 years rigorous imprisonment.