Phulbani: A court in Odisha’s Kandhamal district sentenced a man to rigorous imprisonment for 20 years for raping a minor girl several times since 2018.
The court of the Additional District Judge (POCSO) in Phulbani convicted Banamali Pradhan and awarded the jail term for raping the girl, a Class 8th student, in Tikabali area of Kandhamal.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh on the convict and in case of failure to pay the penalty amount he would have to undergo additional imprisonment for 13 months. The court also directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide compensation of Rs 6 lakh to the survivor.
As per case record, the girl was studying with the sister of Pradhan and he first raped her in 2018. However, the matter came to light in 2022 when the girl fell ill. A case was registered by the police based on a complaint lodged by the girl’s family and Pradhan was arrested.
Based on statements of witness and other evidence, the POCSO court pronounced the verdict.