Pocso court sentences man to life imprisonment

Kendrapada: The additional district judge-cum-special judge (Pocso), Jajpur, on Thursday sentenced a 34-year-old man to life imprisonment after holding him guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl multiple times in Jajpur district three years back.The girl was pregnant due to sexual assault on her multiple times when it was detected by her mother. The girl filed a police complaint after that. The court fined the convict Rs 4 lakh. He has to undergo an additional one year prison term if he fails to pay the fine. The court directed the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) to pay a compensation of Rs 7 lakh to the girl, who gave birth to a son on December 25, 2021.The court ruled that the convict is the biological father of the child as his DNA matched with that of the child’s. Eighteen witnesses, including the girl, deposed in the case, said Rajiv Mohanty, the special public prosecutor.