Rayagada: On Tuesday, a local court sentenced nine individuals to life imprisonment in connection with a kidnapping, sexual assault, and attempted murder case from 2019 involving a young man en route from Chennai to Jharsuguda. Following the verdict, one of the convicted individuals allegedly escaped from the courthouse, prompting a search by law enforcement.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Alpana Swain delivered the ruling in G.R. Case No. 31/19 and C.T. Case No. 32/2020 after a lengthy trial featuring testimonies from 36 witnesses.
The individuals convicted were Hadapa Shiba, G. Bangaru, Shundi Suraj, Shundi Prakash, Majhi Raja, Majhi Joseph, G. Benu, G. Teja, and G. Surendra.
As per the prosecution, the events unfolded on November 18, 2019, when the victim was on a train journey from Chennai to Jharsuguda. The accused allegedly abducted him near Lada railway station within the jurisdiction of Rayagada police, accusing him of drug trafficking and demanding a ransom of Rs 10 lakh for his release.
A case was filed at Rayagada police station (Case No. 425/19), leading to the arrest of the suspects during the investigation. During a police raid, the accused reportedly fired at officers, who returned fire.
The court convicted the nine individuals under multiple sections of the IPC, including 354(A), 364(A), 377, 120(B), and 34, as well as Section 25(i) of the Arms Act. In addition to life sentences, fines were imposed on the convicts ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 20,000, with non-payment resulting in an additional six months of imprisonment.
Public Prosecutor Rajat Ranjan Khatua represented the government in the case.
Following the ruling, tensions arose on the court premises as family members of the convicts reacted to the decision. Rayagada SDPO Gaurahari Sahu and a police team quickly arrived to manage the situation.
In the meantime, convict Shundi Prakash reportedly fled the courthouse after the verdict was announced. The police have since begun an investigation and are actively searching for him.
