3 Youths Sentenced to Life for Gangrape of Minor in Odisha’s Keonjhar

Keonjhar: Three individuals, namely Ranjeet Mohanty (33), Rabindra Naik (25), and Sunil Behera (32), were handed life sentences by the Additional District & Sessions Judge-cum-Special POCSO court. The sentencing, which happened today, is the result of their involvement in the gangrape of a minor girl in the Patana locality of Keonjhar district.

Each convict was fined Rs 50,000, with an additional provision stipulating a year of rigorous imprisonment if they fail to pay the prescribed fine. The Special POCSO court, in its verdict, also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide compensation amounting to Rs 7,50,000 to the survivor of the heinous crime.

The incident occurred on the intervening night of March 5, 2022, when the minor girl, accompanied by her younger brother, went to attend the Jagara Jatra event in a location under Patana police limits. Exploiting a temporary power outage, the culprits forcibly abducted the girl, taking her to a secluded fabrication unit. There, they subjected her to multiple instances of assault, accompanied by threats of severe consequences if she disclosed the incident.

Upon returning home, the victim confided in her family, leading to the filing of an FIR. Subsequently, a comprehensive probe was initiated, resulting in the registration of Special POCSO case 41/2020 of 2022 and Patana PS case No-43/2022. The sentencing followed a thorough examination of the case, incorporating the testimony of at least 15 witnesses.