POCSO Court Sentences Man & Son To RI For Rape Of Minor Girl In Odisha’s Keonjhar

Keonjhar: A special POCSO court has sentenced a man and his son to rigorous imprisonment for rape of a minor girl in Odisha’s Keonkhar district.

As per the case, Babun Sethi, the son of Dolagovinda Sethi, and his friends had kidnapped the girl in an SUV from near Baunsapal market under Keonjhar Sadar police station on October 16, 2021. On the way, when the girl shouted for help, some locals informed the police. The police had rescued the girl after chasing the vehicle and handed her over to her family.

Two days after, Babun’s mother, sister and brother-in-law went to the girl’s house and brought her forcibly to their house. They kept her in their house for 4 months during which period Babun raped her.

Later, Babun’s father also took her to another place and raped her. However, the district Childline officials came to know about the incident and rescued the minor girl. After getting the details of the girl’s ordeal, they filed a complaint at Keonjhar Sadar police station.

After hearing 18 witnesses and verifying evidence, the POCSO court convicted Babun and Dolagivinda. The court sentenced Babun to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him. It also sentenced Dolagovinda to RI for 20 years and slapped a penalty of Rs 10,000 on him.

Besides, the court directed the district legal authorities to pay a compensation of Rs 6 lakh to the victim.