Odisha fast track court sentences man to death for rape of minor girl

The court also sentenced Nahak to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a penalty of ₹50,000 on him under Section 307 of the IPC

Published on: Mar 27, 2026, 08:47:18 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A special court in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Thursday sentenced a 30-year-old man to death for raping a minor girl and trying to murder her in 2021.

Nahak, a resident of Manasila village had raped the minor on November 21, 2021 on the pretext of taking her for fishing. (Representative file photo)

Rohitlal Panda, judge of fast track Pocso court at Berhampur sentenced Keshaba Nahak alias Kesha to death under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Sections 376 (2)(F) and 376 (A) (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, the death penalty to the convict is subject to confirmation by the Orissa High Court.

The court also sentenced Nahak to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a penalty of ₹50,000 on him under Section 307 of the IPC. He has also been awarded five years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) under Section 363 of the IPC.

Also Read: Patna high court invokes Mahabharat, upholds death sentence of murder convicts

Nahak, a resident of Manasila village had raped the minor on November 21, 2021 on the pretext of taking her for fishing. After sexually assaulting, Nahak tried to strangle her. However, he left her after she fell unconscious. The minor girl regained consciousness at a hospital after treatment. Based on a complaint lodged by the family of the victim, police had registered a case.

The court also ordered the district legal service authority to pay the minor ₹5 lakh as compensation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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