Bhubaneswar: The special children court in Nayagarh district today awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment to the only minor accused in the sensational Pari rape and murder case.
Pronouncing its judgement, the court held the accused guilty and convicted him under section 363, 376AB, 302, 201 of IPC and section 6 of POCSO Act.
He has been awarded 20 years rigorous imprisonment for rape under 376AB IPC and 6 POSCO Act and 20 years punishment for murder under section 302 IPC, Odisha crime branch, which was investigating the sensational crime.
The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 6,000 on the accused. In the case of non-payment of the fine amount, he will have to undergo additional imprisonment of one year.
Similarly, the accused is convicted for three years under section 363 and 201 IPC. Conviction terms will run concurrently and his under trial prisoner (UTP) period will be set off.
The prosecutors examined 31 witnesses, exhibited 135 documents and produced 18 material objects during trial of the case, said Chita Ranjan Kanungo, senior Public Prosecutor, who is looking after the case.
On the other hand, the convict’s lawyer said he will move the Orissa High Court against the verdict.
Bijay Mishra, advocate of the accused said, “We are not happy over the judgment and we will move the High Court. The prosecution could not prove the allegations against my client including confession under the Evidence Act or leading to discovery under the Evidence Act. The motive has also not been proved. The prosecution had cooked up a story and the judgement has come based on it.”
Similarly, the victim’s mother said she is not happy over the verdict. “The real culprit has not been arrested. We have not got justice,” she said.
The five-year-old minor girl had gone missing on July 14, 2020 while playing outside her house in her village in Nayagarh. Ten days later, on July 23, 2020, the minor girl’s skeletal remains were found concealed under the bushes near a pond on the backside of the house of the accused.
Nayagarh district police initially investigated the case. The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch. Later, an SIT was constituted by the state government under leadership of Arun Bothra, the then IGP, crime branch to investigate the case. The SIT submitted status reports before the Orissa High Court on different occasions.
The crime branch conducted through investigation using all scientific methods like layered voice analysis test, phycological assessment test, polygraph test, DNA test and forensic examination of blood, semen stain and other available evidence including digital evidence.
Some of these tests were conducted by experts from Central Forensics Science Laboratory, New Delhi and State Forensic Science Laboratory, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
