The Additional District and Sessions Judge of Nabarangpur, Basudeb Acharya, has sentenced an accused named David Garada to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in a high-profile rape case.
The court also levied a fine of Rs 30,000 on the convict, with an additional one-year jail term stipulated in default of payment.
Background of the Case
According to the case details, the survivor filed a written complaint at the Nabarangpur Police Station (Case No. 46/25) on October 31, 2025. The accused, David Garada, who worked as a sound system operator under the survivor’s father, had grown close to the family and often visited their home, positioning himself as a psychological counsellor offering guidance.
Over time, under the pretext of conversations, the accused grew overly familiar. The situation escalated when he hugged and kissed the survivor against her will. In March 2025, when the survivor was alone at home, the accused forcefully committed rape and threatened her with death if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
Blackmail and Harassment
Even after the survivor moved to Bhubaneswar for higher education, the harassment continued. In September 2025, the accused coerced her into signing documents under the guise that marriage would resolve all their problems. Later, when the survivor went to visit her grandfather’s house, the accused threatened her father, demanding she be sent back, or he would leak her private photos on social media. True to his threat, he subsequently posted intimate pictures of the survivor’s parents on Instagram.
Legal Action and Verdict
Acting swiftly on the complaint, the local police registered a case under the POCSO Act, arrested the accused, and forwarded him to court.
Presiding over the trial, Judge Acharya evaluated testimonies from 18 witnesses alongside concrete material evidence to pronounce the final judgment. In addition to the prison term and monetary fine, the court ordered the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide Rs 7 lakh as victim compensation.
Public Prosecutor Mrutyunjay Maharana successfully represented the state throughout the legal proceedings.
