A Special POCSO court in Odisha’s Sambalpur has handed down 20 years of rigorous imprisonment to two individuals in separate cases involving the sexual abuse of minors. In the first case, a 10-year-old girl was raped by a 55-year-old man while returning home from a shop. The victim bravely disclosed the incident to her mother, leading to the arrest of the accused and subsequent legal proceedings.
The court, after examining witness testimonies and evidence, found the accused guilty and pronounced the judgment within 79 days of the crime. The convicted individual was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined Rs 50,000, with an additional one-year imprisonment in case of non-payment. Moreover, the court directed the Sambalpur District Legal Services Authority to provide Rs 10 lakh compensation to the victim under the “Odisha Victim Compensation (Amendment) Scheme, 2025”.
In the second case, a 16-year-old girl was sexually abused by a perpetrator while alone at home. Following a complaint by the victim’s father, the accused was arrested, and the court, after reviewing evidence, sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also instructed the Sambalpur DLSA to grant Rs 10 lakh compensation to the victim.
