Odisha: Man gets 20-year RI for raping woman

By: Ritesh Kumar Sharma
JHARSUGUDA: Jharsuguda additional district and sessions judge Satyabrata Mishra on Thursday sentenced a 23-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 29-year-old woman. The case of the co-accused, a juvenile, is being heard by a Juvenile Justice Board.
Additional public prosecutor, Jharsuguda, Gangadhar Garnaik said the accused, Mathlu alias Sanatan Kisan, a resident of Puruna village under the Jharsuguda police station limits, along with the juvenile, had forcibly taken the victim to an isolated area and gagged her mouth before committing the crime on December 31, 2018.
The duo also assaulted the victim with a bamboo stick and had threatened her of dire consciousness if she told anybody about the incident.
Based on the victim's complaint, a case of gang rape was registered at the Jharsuguda police station. Later, the accused was arrested.
After examining the statements of 19 witnesses and required documents, the judge held Kisan guilty and announced the sentence. He was also slapped a fine of Rs 1,00,000 under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The court also directed that the fine amount shall be paid to the victim towards compensation.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)