Bhubaneswar, August 13: In a swift trial of just 99 days, a Special POCSO Court in Odisha’s Jharsuguda has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a visually-challenged minor girl.
The court, presided over by the Additional Judge, found the accused guilty under Section 64(2)(k) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 6 of the POCSO Act. The conviction was based on strong medico-legal findings and other clinching evidence presented in the chargesheet. Along with the life sentence, the court imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the convict.
The crime occurred on May 2, when the survivor had gone to the neighbour’s house while her parents were asleep. The accused was apprehended six days later, and the police submitted the chargesheet on May 28. Investigators used modern forensic tools, including DNA profiling, to establish an airtight case and secure the conviction.
Additionally, the court instructed the District Legal Services Authority to provide the victim with a compensation amount of ₹10.50 lakh.
