Railway staff sentenced to 7 years RI for raping minor in Odisha’s Khurda

Bhubaneswar: A middle-aged man working in Railways was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment (RI) by a special fast-track court on Wednesday for raping a minor girl in 2018 in the Jatni locality of Khurda. Justice Durga Charan Mishra imposed a fine of Rs 50,000, in addition to imprisonment.

The convict was identified as Subhankar Paul (44) from Basudevpur of Triveni in West Bengal.

Subhankar would undergo imprisonment for 1 year more, in case the fine amount is not paid.

According to a source, the rape survivor was residing near the house of the accused Subhankar. The man’s wife and daughter had gone to their native village during Dussehra vacations. He was staying alone in his house located at Jatni town of Khurda district. On the pretext of giving ice cream, Subhankar had called the minor to his house and forcibly outraged her modesty, taking advantage of the loneliness.

Based on an FIR previously lodged by the rape survivor’s mother, a case (No-360/2018) was registered under Sections 376(3) and 506 of IPC and the POCSO Act, and a detailed probe was initiated.

Subsequently, the man was arrested and sent to Bhubaneswar Special Jail in Jharpada locality.