A special court in Cuttack on Saturday sentenced a man to life imprisonment till his last breath on charges of kidnapping minor and raping her in 2019. The court also awarded 20 years jail term to his wife.
After examining witnesses and appreciating evidence, the special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court convicted the couple of committing the crime and pronounced the judgment. The court also directed the State Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 5 lakh to the victim as compensation.
Special Public Prosecutor Biswajit Ray said the convicted couple, Amit Bindhani and wife Chunia, had kidnapped a ten-year-old minor girl from Sati Chaura area in Cuttack city on July 18, 2019. They took her to Jamshedpur in Jharkhand with a view to sell her off. There, Amit, aided and abetted by Chunia, had raped the girl on several occasions.
“After examining 12 witnesses, the court has pronounced the judgment,” added Ray.