Keonjhar, July 8: A court in Keonjhar has sentenced a man to 17 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for kidnapping and raping a minor girl. Sadar Police investigated the crime committed in 2024 by Shiba Lohar.

The case was registered as Keonjhar Sadar Police Case No. 660/2024 under Sections 137(2), 87, and 64(2)(M) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

On July 3, the special court convicted Shiba Lohar, a resident of Jhumpura Medical Colony under Jhumpura Police Station, for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor girl. He was sentenced to 17 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined 17,000.

The conviction was secured following the investigation conducted by Sub-Inspector Susmita Horo of Keonjhar Sadar Police Station. The evidence collected during the investigation played a key role in establishing the charges against the accused before the court.

The judgment marks the successful conclusion of the trial, with the accused being held guilty for the offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act.