Rape case verdict in 20 days

BHUBANESWAR: In the fastest ever judgement in Orissa, a local court on Saturday sentenced a 56-year-old man to ten years rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl within 20 days of committing the crime.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Santanu Das also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on Niranjan Pradhan, a daily wage earner, for raping a seven-year-old girl.

As per the prosecution, Pradhan had raped the girl in a slum area in the Sikhar Chandi area of the city on the night of September 3. He was arrested the next day and chargesheeted on September eight.

The trial commenced on September 18 and continued for four days and the judgement was pronounced on Saturday.

Altogether 12 witnesses were examined by the court in the case.

Asked whether this was the quickest ever judgement pronounced in any case, Khurda district Superintendent of Police Amitav Thakur said "it is the fastest, at least in Orissa".