PHULBANI/BERHAMPUR: The special POCSO court in Kandhamal’s Phulbani on Wednesday sentenced a youth to undergo 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl in 2020.
The convict is 28-year-old Suratha Behera of Kalabag Jamjhari village within Sadar police limits. Sources said in November 2020, the 13-year-old victim was on way to meet a friend near Phulbani ITI when Suratha and another accused Agasti Behera offered her a ride on their scooter. They took the girl to a forest near Bhetakhal ghat and raped her. When the minor protested, the duo threatened to kill her if she disclosed the matter to anyone.
After nearly one month, the girl narrated her harrowing experience to her family members following which a complaint was filed in Town police station. Police later arrested Suratha but Agasti absconded.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Suratha. Failure to pay the fine will result in additional six months of RI. The district legal services authority has been directed to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim.