JUDGMENT :

S.K. SAHOO, J.

After a few days, we will be celebrating 75th Independence Day with usual pride to mark our freedom from two hundred years of British rule. The father of nation Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led Indian independence movement with great sons of soil like Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Sekhar Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose and many more has once said, “India will be free when the women feel safe to walk in the streets of India in the midnight”. In spite of socio-economic development all corners, Bapuji’s dreams is still falling short of reality because the human race, which he loved so much, could not rise to the standard he set. The case at hand depicts the bitter experience of an innocent teen aged helpless victim girl while returning from school in the broad day light on the public road, when the vulture like appellant committed the most ghastliest crime known under the sky on her in presence of her minor sister.

The appellant Lilu @ Ashok Kumar Das Adhikari faced trial in the Court of learned Addl. Sessions Judge -cum-Special Judge, Balasore in Special Case No.649 of 2018 for commission of offences punishable under sections 34