Bhubaneswar: A sevayat of Lingaraj Temple in Odisha capital was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment for sexually harassing a Swedish national on February 19.
The trial in the molestation case ended in just three weeks with Judicial Magistrate First Class-I Payal Gupta pronouncing the verdict against Kundan Mahapatra (22), a priest of the 11th century shrine, on Monday. He was convicted under Sections 341, 354 and 354A of IPC. “Around seven witnesses, including security staff of the temple and a female cop, were examined during the trial. The court observed that the matter was very sensitive and created a bad image of the state and the country,” additional public prosecutor Bijan Bihari Kar said.
According to the Commissionerate Police, this is the fastest-ever trial in Odisha where an accused was brought to justice in 28 days from the date of occurrence of the offence. While Mahapatra was arrested a day after he allegedly molested the 28-year-old tourist from Sweden, who had hired him as a guide, outside the temple, police submitted the chargesheet against him in the court within 72 hours (on February 22) from date of the crime and the trial began four days later. The foreign victim’s statement was recorded in court on the first day of the trial.
“Top priority was accorded to the sensitive case and the investigation completed quickly. Prosecution lawyer substantiated the charges in court, leading to the conviction. Kudos to the investigating officer, and the prosecuting team of Lingaraj police station for accomplishing it in just 28 days,” said Commissioner of Police Sanjeeb Panda.
Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh said the speedy trial will not only serve as a deterrent for criminals but also instil confidence among tourists about the fast justice delivery system in the state.
Sources said that the Ministry of Home Affairs had also contacted the city police after the incident and inquired about the matter.
Mahapatra had criminal antecedents and was also arrested on July 9, 2023 for allegedly molesting and extorting money from a domestic tourist near the shrine.
