Sundargarh Court Sentences Two to Life for Minor’s Abduction, Gang Rape

Sundargarh: A Special POCSO Court in Sundargarh has sentenced two men to life imprisonment after convicting them in a minor girl’s abduction and gang rape case in the Talasara police station area.

Special Judge Gyan Ranjan Patnaik convicted Ankit Apat and Lulendu Naik alias Lulu under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act. The court also imposed a fine of ₹30,000 on each convict and directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide ₹10 lakh compensation to the victim.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on April 21, 2025, when the minor was returning home with friends after attending a feast. The accused allegedly abducted her from the roadside in a Bolero before sexually assaulting her inside the vehicle and later in a nearby forest.

The girl managed to escape and lodged a complaint at Talasara police station. Police subsequently traced the vehicle and arrested the two adult accused. A third accused, who is a minor, was sent to a juvenile home in Rourkela.

The victim identified the two adult accused during a test identification parade. Police filed the chargesheet within the stipulated period, while scientific and DNA evidence was also examined during the investigation.

The court relied on the complaint, medical and scientific evidence, and testimonies of 28 witnesses to convict the accused.

Special Public Prosecutor Pratava Kumar Nanda represented the prosecution. The trial of the minor accused is pending before the Juvenile Justice Board.