POCSO court awards 10 yrs RI to convict in Odisha

Sundargarh: A designated POCSO court in Sundargarh district awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) to a convict in rape case of a minor girl.

Based on 19 witnesses and police report, Additional District Judge (POCSO) Mahendra Kumar Sutradhar sentenced convict Bhandari Soreng, a resident of Kutra area in Sundargarh district, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 12,000.

The Additional District & Sessions Court ordered the District Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the rape victim.

Bhandari Soreng and his younger brother, who is a juvenile, were accused of raping a minor girl in March 2016.

According to reports, Bhandari and his minor brother brutally raped a 6-year-old girl at her residence at Kutra area when she was alone.

The matter came to fore when the rape victim suddenly fell ill following which the family lodged a complaint at the Kutra Police Station on March 22, 2016.

Based on the complaint, Kutra police arrested accused Bhandari and forwarded him to the court. The another accused, who was minor, was sent to the Juvenile court.