SAMBALPUR: IN one of the swiftest delivery of justice, a POCSO Court on Saturday convicted five persons for gangrape of a 15-year-old girl in Sason area within a month of the heinous incident and sentenced them to life imprisonment. In fact, the Second Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Presiding Officer of Children Court, Sambalpur Udayabhanu Jena completed the trial in flat six days and delivered the verdict after a marathon 14-hour proceeding on Saturday.
There were six accused in the case. The five convicted included Tinu Sahu, Hadu Panchabiha, Ashirwad Behera, Abhilash Panchhbiha and Md Afzal Raza. The sixth, a minor, would face a juvenile justice board. The Sason gangrape is particularly sensational and tragic because the victim committed suicide three weeks after the incident. The incident took place on May 2 when the girl had gone with Afzal on a date. However, he took her to a secluded place and raped her before fleeing. When the girl was heading towards Sason canal, Tinu and Hadu waylaid her on the pretext that they would drop her at her house and raped her. Later, two others - Ashirwad and Abhilash - arrived at the place and the girl was subjected to similar sexual assault.
A 13-year-old was with Ashirwad and Abhilash when the incident took place. A day after the incident, on May 3, a case was registered in Sason Police Station. Afzal was arrested on May 4, while the other five were arrested a day later. The Sason Police submitted chargesheet in the case on May 20. However, on May 23, the minor girl ended her life by hanging herself from the ceiling of her rented house. Hearing in the case began on May 28 during which altogether 21 witnesses were examined. On Saturday, the court began at 7.30 am and functioned for around 14 hours before the judgment was pronounced. Special Public Prosecutor, Santosh Panda said, the POCSO court found Afzal guilty under Sections 4 and 6 of POCSO Act while four others were found guilty under Section 376 (D) of IPC besides 4 and 6 of POCSO Act. The court also slapped a fine of `50,000 on each convict, he said. Conviction of the crime within a period of one month from the date of the incident is one of the fastest police investigation and trials in the district.
