The Sundaragada Additional District Judge-cum-Special POCSO Court has sentenced 33-year-old Suresh Sunyani of Kutra police station area to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for repeatedly raping a nine-year-old minor girl.
The presiding officer, Gyanaranjan Pattnayak, also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000, with an additional two years of imprisonment in case of default.
According to case records, the accused had been sending obscene videos to the child and taking advantage of her parents’ absence to threaten and sexually assault her multiple times. He warned the victim and her mother of dire consequences if the matter was disclosed. The crime came to light when the mother discovered inappropriate videos on the child’s mobile phone, leading the victim to reveal the ordeal.
Following the family’s complaint, Rajgangpur police registered Case No. 250/24 and filed charges against Sunyani. After thorough trial proceedings, the court found him guilty under relevant sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act.
The court also directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide Rs 8 lakh as compensation to the victim. Government-appointed Special Public Prosecutor Prabhat Kumar Nanda conducted the case on behalf of the prosecution.
This judgment underscores the judiciary’s firm stance against crimes targeting minors and reinforces the importance of swift justice under the POCSO Act.
