Bhadrak: A special fast-track court in Odisha’s Bahdrak district on Thursday awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) to a man who was convicted in a minor girl rape case that took place in the district in 2022. Apart from sentencing the convict, who was identified as Mohan Kumar Kundu, Justice Minati Panda of the fast track court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him. The court also directed Mohan to remain behind the bar for an additional period of six months in case he fails to pay the fine amount of Rs 20,000. According to reports, Mohan, the son of Ramesh Kundu of Bhagibindha village under Dhamnagar police station limits in the district, reportedly lured the minor girl with a packet of kurkure and chocolate and raped her after taking her to the Reba river side near the village in the evening of January 13, 2022. After raping the girl, Mohan even had issued threat of dire consequences if she informs about the incident to anyone including her family members.
However, the rape victim managed to inform about the matter to her mother after reaching home. The girl’s parents filed an FIR at Dhamnagar police station on the following day and sought justice for her and action against the accused. Based on the complaint, police initiated a probe against Mohan Kumar Kundu after registering a case No-15/2022, under Sections 376(3), 506 of the IPC and Sections 4, 1 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act against him. Police arrested Mohan and forwarded him to the court two days after registering the case against him. Later, the court conducted hearing in the case and convicted him based on the evidence and witnessed furnished against him.
