Kandhamal (Odisha): A court in Odisha's Kandhamal district on Thursday sentenced a 28-year-old man to 25 years of imprisonment for abducting and raping a five-year-old girl in 2020. The accused was identified as Ganesh Beheradalei alias Litu of the Bamunigaon police station area.
Phulbani POCSO court judge Sanjiv Behera imposed a fine of Rs 22,000 on Ganesh Beheradalei, said additional public prosecutor Asim Praharaj. "He will have to serve 18 months more in jail if he fails to pay the fine," he said. The court further directed the District Legal Services Authorities to grant a compensation of Rs 6 lakhs to the rape survivor.
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On January 26, 2020, Ganesh abducted the minor to a bushy area near her house after luring her with sweets and then raped her. Meanwhile, on hearing her screams, some students passing by rushed to the spot and rescued her. Later, after receiving a complaint from the victim's mother, police arrested the accused.
