Man sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for raping girl in Odisha

A court in Odisha’s Balasore district on Saturday sentenced a man to 10-year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for raping a girl six years ago.

Balasore district's POCSO Court Judge Ranjan Kumar Sutar pronounced the punishment and said the convict would undergo another 2 years of jail term if he fails to pay the penalty amount.

The convict, Bharat Sethi, promised the girl to marry and kidnapped her.

“The court, after examining 12 witnesses and 19 exhibits, held the man guilty under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. It sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment," Special Public Prosecutor Pranab Kumar Panda said.

The court also ordered a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the victim, he added.