Berhampur: The special Pocso court here on Wednesday sentenced a 28-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl after kidnapping her about four years ago.Additional district-cum-special Pocso court judge Pranati Pattnaik also imposed a Rs 10,000 fine on the convict. He will have to undergo jail for another six months, if he fails to pay the fine, said special public prosecutor Narayan Panda.The court also directed the district legal services authorities to provide a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the survivor. The entire fine amount will be paid to the survivor after recovery from the convict, the court ruled.The court pronounced the judgment after recording the statements of 12 witnesses, including police, medical officer and based on medical reports and seized articles.Sources said the man had taken the girl from her house by making false promises on May 30, 2022. Her family members searched for her after she did not return. On June 1, the man, however, told her mother over phone that he took her daughter to Bhubaneswar.On the same day, the girl’s mother lodged an FIR. After registering a case under the Pocos Act, police arrested the man on June 6 and rescued the girl. The man was out on bail since Aug 28, 2023, sources said.
