Justice Served: POCSO Court Sentences Man to 20 Years

A POCSO court in Berhampur, Odisha, has handed down a 20-year sentence to a 28-year-old man found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl four years ago.

The ruling, delivered by Additional District Judge and POCSO Special Court Judge Pranati Pattnaik, includes a fine of Rs 10,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional six months behind bars. Furthermore, the court instructed district legal authorities to compensate the victim with Rs 3 lakh.

The incident took place on May 30, 2022, when the convict reportedly lured the victim away from her home. An FIR was lodged on June 1, and the accused was apprehended on June 6. Recently, he had been on bail since August 28, 2023.