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Sambalpur: The District and Sessions Court in Sambalpur, today awarded life terms to five accused for raping a college girl in 2014 and circulating an MMS made by them during the act.
District and Session Judge Dipti Mohapatra pronounced the life sentence on Bishna Kisan, Prashant Dandasena, Ranjan Oram, Muna Oram and Jaya Mangala Pradhan under Sec 376 (D) of IPC and Sec 6 of the POCSO Act.
The court also sentenced the five to one year's rigorous imprisonment (RI) under Sec 66 (E) of the IT Act, 2000, three years' RI and a fine of Rs 2 lakh each under Sec 67 of the IT Act and Sec 120 B of IPC. In case of failure to pay the fine, they will have to undergo and additional six months of RI, the court ruled. The court said the fine amount, if collected, will be paid to the vcitim.
The court awarded a three-year jail term to another accused Sunil Mirdha under the IT Act while Samir Pradhan, another accused, was acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.
Since the eighth accused in the case was a minor, he is being tried in the juvenile court.
The spine-chilling incident happened on July 22, 2014, when the victim, a resident of Sambalpur, had hired an auto rickshaw along with her boyfriend to visit a place in Jamadarpali arae of the city. After dropping the two passengers at Jamadarpalli, the driver of the auto rickshaw came back and informed his friends. The driver, along with six of his friends, then went back to Jamadarpalli. They overpowered the boy friend of the victim and took turns in raping the young girl while making a video clip of the act using a mobile phone.
The ordeal of the victim did not end there as the accused started blackmailing the young girl by showing her the video clip. Despite all this, the victim kept silent out of shame.
But when the MMS of the rape scene started doing the rounds in the city, the family members of the victim registered a written complaint at the Mahila police station in Sambalpur on October 18, 2014.
A special team led by Sadar SDPO raided different places and nabbed the accused.
