Jagatsinghpur: A fast track special court in Jagatsinghpur district on Tuesday pronounced its verdict in a gang rape case, sentencing three accused to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each.

The court convicted the trio under Sections 376(D) (gang rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In addition to the prison term, each convict has been fined ₹10,000.

The court had earlier directed the survivor be provided financial assistance of ₹2 lakh under the Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme.

According to case details, the incident took place on February 3, 2024, near Nimakana railway station under Tirtol police limits in Jagatsinghpur district. A 29-year-old woman was allegedly gang raped by three persons in the evening.

The accused, identified as Ranjan Kumar Sial, Biswaranjan Nayak, and Suresh Kumar Behera, all from the Tirtol area, were arrested by the police soon after the incident.

The investigation was carried out by the Women and Child Crime Branch of Odisha Police, Bhubaneswar. DSP Iman Kalyan Nayak led the probe and submitted the charge sheet before the court.

Based on the charge sheet and strong evidence presented during the trial, the court found all three accused guilty and awarded the sentence.