Delivering a decisive verdict in a heinous crime against a minor, the Kendujhar Additional District Judge and POCSO Court Judge, Monalisa Mohanty, on Friday sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl.
The court also slapped a fine of Rs 4,000 on the convict, with an additional one-year jail term in case of default. Furthermore, the court directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide Rs 10 lakh as financial assistance to the young victim.
The incident dates back to April 3, 2022, when the young girl had accompanied her parents to a social function (an Ekoisia feast) in a village falling under the Barbil police jurisdiction in Keonjhar district. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused, identified as Sania alias Sunia Champia, gagged the victim, forcibly abducted her to a nearby forest, and committed the assault. The assailant later brought the girl back and left her at the venue late at night.
Following the horrific ordeal, the victim’s family lodged a formal complaint at the Telkoi Police Station on April 4, 2022. The police subsequently registered a case (Case No. 61/2022) under Sections 366 and 376(A, B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The investigation was conducted by Sub-Inspector Tripura Priyadarshini of the Barbil Police Station. During the trial, the prosecution presented key evidence and examined 13 witnesses. Special Public Prosecutor (PP) Sanjay Paikaray represented the state during the court proceedings, leading to the ultimate conviction and sentencing on October 9, 2026.
