Bargarh: A POCSO court in Odisha’s Bargarh district on Tuesday sentenced a 35-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl that took place around 14 months ago.
The court convicted the accused, Prashanta Bag, under two sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Justice Kiran Kumar Pradhan also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide compensation of ₹15 lakh to the victim’s family, public prosecutor Dyutish Acharya said.
The incident occurred on November 15, 2024. The body of the minor girl was found in the Soda forest under the Paikamal police station area in Bargarh district. Villagers informed the police, following which an investigation was launched and a 35-year-old man was detained. During interrogation, Bag confessed to raping and killing the child.
According to the investigation, Bag, a farm labourer, had taken three children from the Paikamal police station area to an isolated location on the pretext of catching fish. He later sent two of the children back and lured the victim into the forest, where he raped her and killed her.
Following the incident, rallies were held across Bargarh demanding the death penalty for the accused.
Padmapur Investigating Officer Mamta Nayak filed the chargesheet within 20 days of the incident and later submitted all forensic and medical evidence. The court delivered its verdict based on the statements of 37 witnesses and 55 documents.
The accused was convicted of kidnapping, rape and murder on December 26, 2025. On Tuesday, Justice Kiran Kumar Pradhan, Additional District Judge-cum-Special Court under POCSO, pronounced the death sentence.
Government prosecutor Dyutish Acharya said the crime was extremely heinous and that the accused was arrested after the two minors stated they had last seen the victim with Bag. He added that the accused had also confessed to the crime and the court accepted the prosecution’s demand for the death penalty.
