Bhubaneswar, April 24: In a major verdict, the Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-POCSO Court in Jeypore on Friday convicted a man in a 2023 case involving the abduction and rape of a minor girl under Kotpad police station limits.

The accused, Bitya Pujari of Sadaranga village, was found guilty of abducting the minor on the pretext of marriage and subjecting her to sexual assault. The conviction was based on the testimonies of nine witnesses presented during the trial, which the court found credible and sufficient to establish the charges.

The court sentenced the accused to five years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹5,000 under Section 366 of the Indian Penal Code for abduction. Additionally, under Sections 6 and 4(2) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, he was awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for each offence, along with a fine of ₹20,000 in each case.

The judgment stated that failure to pay the fines would attract an additional 15 months of imprisonment.

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