Kendrapada: The special Pocso court in Jajpur district on Wednesday sentenced a 31-year-old man to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a 14-year-old girl last year.The court also imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on the convict, with an additional one-year jail term for failure to pay. Besides, the court directed the Odisha State Legal Services Authority to pay a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the survivor. Pronouncing the verdict, Justice Abhilash Senapati convicted the accused under various sections of BNS and POCSO Act.According to the prosecution, the accused kidnapped the minor on July 19, 2025, and raped her at multiple locations for more than a week. The survivor’s mother lodged a complaint at the police station. The police arrested the accused and filed a chargesheet.“A total of 15 witnesses, including the survivor, were examined during the trial. Relying on eyewitness testimonies and medical evidence, the court found the accused guilty and awarded the sentence,” said special public prosecutor Srinibash Sahu.
