Bhubaneswar, July 10: A first track court (POCSO) in Bhubaneswar on Thursday sentenced 21-year-old Raja Mallick to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old girl in 2020.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹5,000, with an additional three-month jail term in case of non-payment.
The incident occurred on July 18, 2020, when Mallick, who was in a relationship with the survivor, abducted her under the false promise of marriage and sexually assaulted her. Acting on a complaint lodged by the girl’s family, police rescued the minor on October 24, 2020. Mallick was arrested three days later from the Baramunda area in Bhubaneswar.
The conviction was secured U/S - 376(2)(n) of I. P. C & U/S - 6 of POCSO Act, based on extensive evidence, including testimonies from 14 witnesses and examination of 73 documents.
To aid in the survivor’s rehabilitation, the court directed the Khordha District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide compensation of ₹3.5 lakh.
