SAMBALPUR: A special POCSO court in Sambalpur on Saturday sentenced a 22-year-old youth to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for repeated sexual assault of a minor girl.
However, the court acquitted his parents, who had been accused of kidnapping the victim, over lack of specific evidence.
Special Judge, POCSO court, Abhilash Senapati also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict, Sukanta Kisan. The verdict was pronounced after examining 26 prosecution witnesses including the survivor, her family members, villagers, medical officers and investigating officials.
The court held that the prosecution successfully established the foundational facts under the POCSO Act, including the age of the victim through school records and medical opinion.
It rejected the defence argument of consensual relationship, observing that consent is immaterial when the victim is a minor.
The court directed that the fine amount, if realised, be paid to the survivor as compensation, and recommended Rs 10 lakh compensation under the Odisha Victim Compensation (Amendment) Scheme, 2025, to be processed through the District Legal Services Authority, Sambalpur.
As per the prosecution, Senapati had developed a relationship with the survivor, who was then 17 years old.
On February 9, 2023, he took her to his house on the false promise of marriage, and since then kept her captive there for five months.
During this period, the survivor was subjected to repeated sexual assault, physical violence and threats, and prevented from contacting her family. She later managed to escape and narrated her ordeal before her mother. Mahupali police registered an FIR in this connection on July 1, 2023.