Keonjhar: A fast-track court in Keonjhar on Wednesday sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old tribal girl in 2015.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict. If he defaults, he would have to undergo another year of rigorous imprisonment.
According to the prosecution, the convict, then 21, repeatedly raped the girl in 2015, resulting in her pregnancy. When the girl’s family discovered she was pregnant, they approached the man’s family on April 25, 2015. However, the convict’s uncle allegedly assaulted and threatened the girl before driving her away. Following the incident, the girl filed a complaint on April 28.
Judge Bijay Kumar Mishra pronounced the verdict on the basis of the testimonies of 16 witnesses and a detailed police investigation report. The court, however, acquitted the convict’s uncle due to insufficient evidence.
Special public prosecutor Gyanendranath Jena said the court directed the district legal services authority to provide a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the woman.