An anti-rape poster. Image for representational purposes.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Balasore: A man was sentenced to 20 years in jail by a court in Odisha's Balasore district on Thursday for raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter.
The special POCSO court of Judge Ranjan Kumar Sutar also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on him.
The incident happened in April 2019 when the girl was alone at home. The man entered her room, and raped her there, according to the prosecution.
The investigation was started after the girl narrated the incident to her mother who then lodged a complaint at the Jaleswar police station.
The court convicted the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and IPC sections 376 AB (rape of woman under 12 years) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
"Relying upon 15 witnesses and 17 exhibits, the court delivered the verdict," public prosecutor Pranab Kumar Panda said.
The court also directed the district legal services authority to give a compensation of Rs 4 lakhs to the survivor.