Berhampur: A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the heinous act of raping his underage daughter in Ganjam district, as ruled by a court on Friday. The Additional District Judge, Pranati Pattnaik, presiding over the POCSO court, also levied a fine of Rs 10,000 on the perpetrator. Should he fail to pay this fine, he will face an additional year in prison, according to Special Public Prosecutor Narayan Panda.

The court mandated that the district legal service authorities (DLSA) provide Rs 10.50 lakh to the victim. The judge remarked, “The accused, being the father of the minor, was expected to safeguard her from any form of sexual abuse. Instead, he repeatedly violated her trust and dignity.” The court emphasized that given the circumstances, leniency was unwarranted.

Taking into account all aspects of the case, the judge concluded that the convict deserved the harshest penalty, which entails life imprisonment, meaning he will remain incarcerated for the rest of his life. Police reports indicate that the victim is the daughter of the convict's first wife, who passed away in 2021.