Kendrapada: A Pocso court on Wednesday sentenced a 36-year-old tuition teacher to 20 years of imprisonment for raping his student, an eight-year-old girl, in 2022.
Special Judge Pragyan Paramita Roul found the man guilty based on testimonies from 14 witnesses, including the rape survivor and medical reports. The court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him, with an additional year of imprisonment if he fails to pay.
Special public prosecutor Manoj Kumar Sahu said the court directed the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) to provide Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the girl.
The incident came to light when the minor girl, then a Class IV student, complained of severe body pain and refused to attend tuition classes on Dec 21, 2022. Upon questioning, she revealed to her parents that the tutor had raped her the previous day at his residence, where he conducted the tuition classes.
According to the FIR filed by the girl’s mother, the man threatened to kill the girl if she disclosed the incident to anyone. Following the complaint, police arrested him under Section 376 of the IPC and Section 6 of the Pocso Act, 2012.