Bargarh: A special POCSO court in Odisha’s Bargarh district has awarded the death penalty to 21-year-old Prashant Bag alias Bariha for the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl in November last year.
The crime occurred on November 15, 2024, in a village under Paikmal police limits in Padampur sub-division.
According to court records, Bag lured the young girl from her home on the pretext of taking her fishing while she was with her grandfather. The grandfather later left for his paddy fields, returning around noon to find Bag at the house with blood on his face. When questioned about the girl’s whereabouts, Bag gave evasive answers. A search in the nearby jungle led to the grim discovery of the victim’s nude body, bearing severe head injuries and a belt tied around her neck, indicating strangulation.
A case was registered at Paikmal police station. The investigation, led by IIC Mamata Naik and supervised by Bargarh SP Prahlad Sahai Meena, progressed swiftly. The chargesheet was filed within 45 days, and forensic evidence from the State Forensic Science Laboratory in Bhubaneswar further strengthened the prosecution’s case.
During the trial, the court examined 37 prosecution witnesses, admitted 55 documents as exhibits, and considered 27 material objects. Bag was convicted under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In addition to the capital punishment, the court also directed the District Legal Service Authority to provide a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the deceased’s family.
