Baripada, Aug 21: A Special POCSO Court has sentenced a 70-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape of a minor girl in 2021.

Special POCSO Judge also imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 on the convict, Jagannath Mohanty. The court stipulated that failure to pay the fine will result in an additional three months of jail time.

According to Special Public Prosecutor Aswini Kumar Mohanty, the assault occurred on December 11, 2021. The minor was grazing cows near the Dhanipat football field when Mohanty, a resident of Sanahatanabeda village under the Badampahar police limits, attacked her. Prosecutors stated that he gagged the victim, threatened her life if she reported the assault, and subjected her to repeated abuse.

The crime remained concealed for several months until the victim's family noticed significant changes in her health. Upon learning of the assault, the family filed a written complaint at the Badampahar police station. Police officially registered the case on July 1, 2022, and subsequently arrested Mohanty.

During the trial, the prosecution built a conclusive case relying on the victim's statement, testimonies from 22 witnesses, and a crucial DNA report. Based on this evidence, the court convicted Mohanty under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).