Kandhamal: Rape Accused Sentenced to 20yrs RI

Kandhamal: The accused has been sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment along with a fine amount of Rs. 1,10,000.  He had been proven guilty in the case of raping a minor girl. POCSO court of Phulbani has given the verdict serving justice. The accused has to spend an extra 13 months in jail if he defaults the fine payment.

According to the reports, the accused Banamali Pradhan repeatedly raped a minor eighth-grade student in the area that comes under Tikabali Police Station of Kandhamal district. The incident happened in the year 2018.

The offender had warned the girl against speaking about it to her family. He had threatened to kill her. After knowing about the whole incident, the family of the girl registered a complaint against the rapist on November 19, 2022. The POCSO court reportedly sentenced the accused based on the testimony of 14 witnesses, medical report, and the victim’s statement. Apart from this, the court has also ordered the District Legal Service Authority to pay six lakhs rupees as compensation for the damage says report.