Auto driver gets 30-yr jail term for minor's rape in Jajpur

Kendrapada: A 36-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was sentenced to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment by the additional district-cum-special judge (Pocso), Jajpur, on Tuesday for kidnapping and raping a 12-year-old girl last year.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the convict. He will have to undergo an additional six-month imprisonment is he fails to pay the fine, the court ruled. Special judge Abhijit Palei also directed the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation to the girl.

According to the prosecution, the convict, who regularly drove the Class VII student to school, kidnapped her on March 18, 2024. The girl's mother filed an FIR the next day at the local police station. After a month-long investigation, police rescued the girl from Bargarh district and arrested the accused.

Special public prosecutor Rajiv Mohanty said the court relied on testimonies from 15 witnesses, including the girl, and medical reports, before pronouncing the verdict.