Balasore man gets life imprisonment for raping minor girl

Balasore: A POCSO court here Thursday sentenced a 60-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a differently abled girl, a government advocate said.

POCSO court judge Indira Priyadarshini pronounced the sentence against Padmalochan Kamila, who raped the 13-year-old girl from his locality April 17, 2024, according to Special Public Prosecutor Pranab Panda.

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict.

In case of failure to pay the fine, the convict will have to serve an additional one-year jail term, he added.

The court pronounced the verdict after examining 20 witnesses and 17 exhibits.

The special public prosecutor said the court has directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to pay Rs 4 lakh compensation to the victim.

According to the prosecution, the victim was known to the convict, and she regularly visited his house to watch television. April 17 last year, finding her alone, Padmalochan raped her.

Following the incident, the victim’s mother lodged a complaint at the Sahadevkhunta police station.

Later, police arrested Padmalochan and forwarded him to the court.

PTI

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