Phulbani, November 20, 2025 : The Fast Track Special POCSO Court in Phulbani, Kandhamal district, on Thursday sentenced 25-year-old Tapan Nayak of Daringingbadi police station area to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old minor girl in 2017.
Delivering the verdict, Judge Kailash Chandra Swain also imposed a fine of ₹15,000 on the convict. In default of payment of the fine, Nayak will have to undergo an additional 2 years and 3 months of imprisonment.
The court convicted the accused after examining the statements of 14 witnesses and medical evidence. Special Public Prosecutor for the Fast Track POCSO Court, Banamali Behera, appeared on behalf of the State.
According to the prosecution, on the night of March 4, 2017, the survivor had stepped out of her house to relieve herself when the accused lured her with a false promise of marriage, took her to his house, and raped her against her will. A few days later, he abandoned her and fled the village. Over the phone, he revealed that he was already married and asked her to return to her parental home.
Traumatised, the minor returned to her parents and narrated the entire incident. Her family lodged a written complaint at Daringbadi police station. The case was registered as Daringbadi PS Case No. 43/2017 dated March 24, 2017. Sub-Inspector Shrikant Khamari investigated the matter, arrested the accused, and produced him before the court.
In today’s judgment, the court also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Kandhamal, to provide ₹5 lakh as victim compensation to the survivor under the Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme.
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