Rourkela: In a significant judgment, Rourkela POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Court in Odisha's Sundargarh district has sentenced a 51-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape of a minor girl a few years back. The convict has been identified as Kishore Tirkey (51), a resident of the Kuarmunda area.

Details of the incident

On March 9, 2020, the six-and-a-half-year-old child was playing alone at her home when the accused took advantage of her isolation, entered the house and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene. Following the incident, the victim's family filed a written complaint at the Birmitrapur Police Station. Based on the family's complaint, Birmitrapur Police tracked down and had arrested Tirkey, later forwarding him to judicial custody.

Presiding Judge P. Surya Rao delivered the ruling based on the testimony of 15 witnesses and 18 key documents presented by the prosecution. In addition to the life sentence, the court imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two years of imprisonment. Special Public Prosecutor Pramod Kumar Debata, who handled the case, successfully argued for the maximum penalty, citing the gravity of the crime and the age of the victim.

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