Courts Across India Issue Lengthy POCSO Sentences as Odisha Murder Case Ends in Life Terms
Judges in special POCSO courts paired long prison terms with fines and victim compensation after trials grounded in witness testimony and medical reports.
Overview
- In Karnataka’s Belagavi, a fast-track POCSO court sentenced Nagesh Kareppa Lamani to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment for repeated rape that led to the victim’s pregnancy, imposed a Rs 2 lakh fine, and ordered Rs 7 lakh in compensation through the District Legal Services Authority.
- An Odisha POCSO court in Ganjam gave six men 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each for the gang-rape of a 17-year-old, levied fines, and directed Rs 15 lakh in victim compensation, with the fine amount to be paid to the survivor once recovered.
- In Andhra Pradesh’s Ongole, Kallagunta Hari was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape of a seven-year-old and was ordered to pay a Rs 10,000 fine and Rs 3 lakh in compensation following a prosecution monitored by a special POCSO team.
- A fast-track special court in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a young relative and issued additional concurrent terms and fines under other POCSO provisions.
- Separately in Odisha’s Ganjam district, a sessions court sentenced five people to life imprisonment for the 2020 murder of a milk trader during a robbery, following testimony from 41 witnesses and the imposition of fines.