On June 26, a local court in Odisha convicted 14 women, including minors at the time of the crime, and imposed the death penalty. $$1,000 in compensation each in connection with a 23-year-old case in which a couple from Jharsuguda district were allegedly stripped naked, decked out with shoes and paraded in the village with their faces blackened.
A Senior Civil Judge (Women’s Court) – Deputy Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Jharsuguda, Pratyusha Kiran, convicted 14 women under Sections 341 (unlawful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (assault or criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to insult a person) read with Section 34 of the Penal Code Indian.
Instead of issuing a prison sentence, the court ordered each of the convicts to pay $1000. The women, aged between their 30s and 70s, were present in court when the sentence was handed down and are currently out on bail.
On March 28, 2003, in Laikira, the accused allegedly entered the couple’s home after an earlier dispute and assaulted them.
The victims were allegedly stripped of their clothes, had their shoes decorated, their faces blackened, and were forced to walk through the village in broad daylight. A complaint was lodged on the same day, following which the Laikara Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on March 30, 2003.
Police said all the accused, including some who were minors at the time of the incident, were taken into custody on April 5, 2003, but were released on bail within hours by the then Inspector in Charge of Laikira Police Station.
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Although police filed the indictment on July 17, 2003, charges were not brought until November 15, 2025, delaying more than 22 years before the trial began. The trial began nearly seven months ago.
Usharani Majhi, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Jharsuguda, who prosecuted the case, said the investigation was completed on time and attributed the long delay to the filing of charges.
She said: “The investigation was completed on time. The delay occurred after the indictment was filed and before the trial began. It is within the jurisdiction of the court to file charges.”
Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra said the conviction underscores the importance of a fair and evidence-based investigation.
“Even after more than two decades, the criminal justice system ensures accountability. The conviction reflects the importance of a fair, impartial and evidence-based investigation,” SP said.
