CUTTACK: A fast-track adhoc Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court here on Saturday awarded Rs 5 lakh compensation to a minor girl, who was a rape victim in 2018. Presiding Judge Gayadhar Panda awarded the compensation keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case and the age of the victim at the time of the incident.
The Judge awarded the compensation while convicting 30-year-old Ghana Bangarah, a daily wage earner for raping the minor girl and sentencing him to 20 years rigorous imprisonment. The Court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Ghana. Special Public Prosecutor Biswajit Ray led the prosecution with 12 witnesses and 13 documents including the medical reports.
The Judge directed the Secretary District Legal Services Authority, Cuttack for compliance of the order related to compensation to the victim girl. The compensation shall be paid to the victim by way of a fixed deposit in a nationalised bank which can be withdrawn after she becomes a major, the order specified.
The trial in the case was taken up on the basis of the FIR lodged by the victim’s mother at the Tangi police station in Cuttack district on October 26, 2018 after the village panchayat did not take any action on her complaint. The victim was 12-years-old when the incident occurred on October 19, 2018. Ghana was arrested on October 27, 2018 and has since been in custody.