ODISHA SPECIAL POCSO COURT CONVICTS MAN FOR AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT ON TWO-YEAR-OLD; AWARDS 30 YEARS RIGOROUS IMPRISONMENT

BHUBANESWAR — A Fast Track Special Court (POCSO) in Bhubaneswar has convicted a 24-year-old man for the aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a two-and-a-half-year-old toddler. Presiding Judge Saroj Kumar Sahoo sentenced the convict, Kanha alias Santosh Khuntia, to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment, underlining the judiciary's strict approach toward heinous offenses against minor children.
The Court observed that the prosecution successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt through a seamless chain of medical, forensic, and circumstantial evidence, rejecting procedural defenses raised regarding the seizure of the accused's apparel.

Factual Matrix
The criminal machinery was set into motion based on an incident occurring on June 30, 2024, in Panchagaon. The convict lured the victim away from her maternal grandfather on the pretext of offering her a fruit. When the child failed to return, the victim’s mother initiated a search, eventually tracking her to the convict’s locked room.

Upon forcing entry into the premises, the mother discovered the minor victim lying unconscious and bleeding on a cot. The convict was apprehended at the spot, hiding beneath the bed. A First Information Report (FIR) was promptly lodged under Section 376-AB of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Age Determination under Statutory Framework
A threshold legal issue evaluated by the Special Court was the precise determination of the victim's age, which governs the statutory application of aggravated penalties under the POCSO Act.
The Court placed absolute reliance on Section 34(1) of the POCSO Act, read in tandem with Section 94 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Citing established Supreme Court precedents, including Jarnail Singh v. State of Haryana (2013) and P. Yuvaprakash v. State (2023), the Court evaluated the birth certificate issued by the competent municipal authority. The documentation conclusively proved that the victim was exactly 2 years, 8 months, and 17 days old on the date of the offense, thereby satisfying the statutory criteria for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

Evidentiary Evaluation and Rejection of Defense Pleadings
During trial, the prosecution examined 13 witnesses. While the minor victim could not testify due to her tender age following a voir dire competency evaluation, the testimonies of the mother and grandfather provided a robust circumstantial anchor.

The defense counsel argued for acquittal on the grounds that the clothing seized from the accused two days after the incident did not reveal bloodstains upon forensic examination. Dismissing this argument, the Court observed that it was entirely improbable for an accused to remain in the same attire forty-eight hours post-crime. The Court held that the absence of blood on subsequent clothing could not override the compelling, immediate eyewitness accounts of the family members who discovered the victim at the crime scene.

Furthermore, medical jurisprudence strongly supported the prosecution. Clinical examinations of the victim confirmed extensive trauma consistent with forcible sexual assault, while the medical evaluation of the accused confirmed his physical capability to commit the act.

Sentence and Victim Rehabilitation
Holding the convict guilty under Sections 376-AB, 363, 323, and 342 of the IPC alongside Section 6 of the POCSO Act, the Court awarded 30 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Emphasizing restorative justice, the Court directed the state to disburse ₹5,00,000 (Five Lakh Rupees) as victim compensation, aligning the order with the apex court guidelines in Nipun Saxena v. Union of India (2018) to ensure immediate medical and psychological rehabilitation for the child.

Case Title: State of Odisha v. Kanha @ Santosh Khuntia
Case Number: TR Case No. 370 of 2024
Jurisdiction: Fast Track Special Court (POCSO), Bhubaneswar
Discription:  The landmark judgment delivered by the Fast Track Special Court (POCSO) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Tailored specifically for legal professionals, researchers, and journalists, the text employs rigorous statutory terminology and an objective, analytical tone. The article is structured into distinct, scannable segments, beginning with a concise headline and lead paragraph, followed by a detailed factual matrix of the offense. It meticulously outlines the court's application of the Juvenile Justice Act for age determination, its evaluation of medical jurisprudence and circumstantial evidence over technical defense objections, and the final order imposing thirty years of rigorous imprisonment alongside a five-lakh rupee victim compensation package. The piece concludes with a formal case citation block, making it ideal for immediate legal publication, archival reference, or case tracking.