Man gets 25 years in jail for raping 5-year-old girl

PHULBANI: The POCSO court of Phulbani on Thursday sentenced a 28-year-old man to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for abducting and raping a minor girl (5) in 2020. The convict was identified as Ganesh Beheradalei alias Litu of Bamunigaon police station area.

According to special prosecutor Asim Kumar Praharaj, on the morning of January 26, 2020, Ganesh abducted the minor to a bushy area near her house and raped her. On hearing her screams, some school boys passing by reached the spot and rescued her. 

Later after receiving a complaint from the victim’s mother, police arrested the accused. Meanwhile, a fine of Rs 22,000 was also imposed on him. The court further ordered the district legal services authority to pay Rs 6 lakh compensation to the survivor.

LIQUOR BAN: Leaders of different communities, at the district-level peace committee meeting organised on Wednesday, urged the Kandhamal administration to put a ban on the sale of liquor for three days from December 23 to 25 to facilitate celebration of Christmas in peace and harmony. 

Representatives of the Christian community further appealed before the administration to supply uninterrupted power during that period. “We will consider their demands,” said collector Asish Ishwar Patil adding, Excise and police department have been asked to remain vigilant on the illegal sale of liquor during that period. 

Bail pleas of arrested lawyers rejected
Sambalpur: The Additional District Judge on Thursday rejected bail petitions of lawyers arrested in connection with the vandalism inside Sambalpur court complex on December 12. Member of central action committee (CAC) Pramod Dash said, “Bail pleas of all the 38 persons, including 29 lawyers, were rejected. We are yet to know on what grounds the petitions were turned down. We will decide our next course of action after going through the court order.”