Odisha: Court awards death sentence to man for murder-rape of minor girl

Bhubaneswar: A POCSO court in Odisha’s Sambalpur on Tuesday awarded death sentence to a person for killing a minor girl after committing rape in 2022. The convict has also been asked to deposit fine of Rs 1 lakh. 

The 34-year-old convict was identified as Prasant Baghar of Jamankera.

“The 11-year-old victim girl had gone to a field near her residence to answer the call of nature in the morning on March 25, 2022. Meanwhile, the convict also reached there and forcefully raped the minor,” said public prosecutor Santosh Panda.

Panda further stated that convict Baghar later decapitated her with a sharp weapon and went to the village with her severed head.

The villagers spotted the convict washing the severed head of the girl at the village tube well and informed the police about the ghastly incident.

Upon being informed, the Jamankira police reached the spot immediately and nabbed the accused.

“Based on a complaint lodged by the victim girl’s father, police arrested the accused and seized the severed head and weapon,” Panda added.

Sources also claimed that the families of the convict and the victim were at loggerheads over some property related-dispute as well.

The court on the basis of the statements of 25 witnesses and other exhibits pronounced the judgement on Tuesday.

The court has also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Sambalpur to Rs 3 lakh to the deceased minor’s next of kin.

The minor victim’s family had earlier received financial compensation of Rs 3 lakh too.