BARIPADA: The special POCSO court at Baripada in Mayurbhanj district on Monday sentenced a 30-year-old man to five years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for sexually assaulting a minor girl last year.
The convict was identified as Tarasankar Sahu of Chitrada village within Moroda police limits.
Public prosecutor Abhinna Pattnaik said as per the complaint filed by the eight-year-old victim’s parents, the girl was alone in the house on March 1, 2022. Taking advantage of the situation, Sahu entered the house and sexually assaulted the girl. After committing the crime, the convict fled.
The girl told her neighbour about the incident following which her parents were informed. Subsequently, a complaint was lodged against Sahu at Moroda police station. Sahu was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
Pattnaik said the court also imposed Rs 5,000 fine on the convict. Failure to pay the fine will result in another three months of jail term. The court directed the district legal services authority to provide `1 lakh compensation to the victim for her rehabilitation.