Kendrapada court sentences man to 10 years for raping 15-year-old girl

Kendrapada: A Kendrapada court on Wednesday sentenced a 38-year-old man to 10 years of imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old girl multiple times two years ago.Ad hoc additional sessions-cum-fast-track-special (Pocso) court judge Tribikram Keshari Chinhara also imposed a fine of Rs 11,000 on the convict, failure to pay which would result in his sentence being increased by six months. The court also directed the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) to pay a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the survivor. She gave birth to a daughter on Nov 12, 2023.The court ruled on Wednesday that the convict is the biological father of the child, based on a report from the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Bhubaneswar. The convict underwent a DNA test on the direction of the court in April 2024. The DNA test established his paternity after the convict denied his involvement in the rape and that he was father of the child.The minor girl was found to be in an advanced stage of pregnancy due to multiple sexual assaults by the convict. It was only after her mother noticed changes in her body that she suspected her daughter was pregnant, leading her to file an FIR on July 26, 2023. In her complaint, she alleged that her daughter was raped multiple times by the convict, a neighbour, resulting in her pregnancy. The man threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed the crime to anyone. Acting on the FIR, police launched an investigation and arrested the man under sections 376 (2) (M) of IPC and Section 6 of the Pocso Act, 2012.“Around 14 witnesses, including the girl, deposed before the court. After relying on the DNA report, evidence of the girl and others, and medical reports, the court convicted the accused,” said Manoj Sahu, special public prosecutor.