Balasore, October 26: A local court in Odisha's Balasore district on Saturday sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him of kidnapping and raping a 12-year-old girl. Special Judge Ranjan Kumar Sutar of Balasore POCSO court awarded the sentence to Rajendra Jena (24) from Balasore Town area for sexually assaulting the victim after abducting her when she went to a local market on the evening of April 6.

The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 and ordered an additional two years of imprisonment if the convict fails to pay the fine. According to the prosecution, the victim's mother lodged a complaint with police on April 7, 2024. Odisha Shocker: 14-Year-Old Girl Burnt Alive by Married Man for Rejecting His Romantic Advances in Balasore.

Following an investigation, police arrested the accused and was tried under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 6 of the POCSO Act. After examining 15 witnesses and 26 pieces of evidence, the court pronounced its verdict. Odisha Horror: 21-Year-Old Woman Gang-Raped by 3 Men in Nayagarh Forest in Front of Fiance, Accused Film Act and Share Video on Social Media.

"The convict will serve 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and pay the penalty. The court further ordered Rs 4 lakh in compensation for the victim to be paid through the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA)," said Special Public Prosecutor Pranab Kumar Panda.

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