In Bargarh, Odisha, a special POCSO court has sentenced Prashant Bag to death for the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl. The court deemed the crime to fall under the "rarest of rare" category. In addition to the death sentence, the court has directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide ₹15 lakh as compensation to the victim's family.

The crime occurred on November 15, 2024, in the Paikamal Police Station area of Bargarh district. Prashant Bag lured the young girl from her home, claiming he would take her to catch fish, and instead took her to a nearby forest where he raped and murdered her.

The Bargarh Superintendent of Police (SP) closely monitored the investigation, under the direction of the Northern Range Inspector General of Police (IGP), Himanshu Lal. The chargesheet was submitted by the probe team within 20 days. The judgment was delivered after the court examined statements from at least 37 prosecution witnesses, which helped to establish the accused's guilt. The case was tried under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharat Nyay Sanhita.

The Northern Range IG told OTV that a rape and murder case had previously been registered at Paikamal Police Station in 2014, and the POCSO court has now sentenced the convict, Prashant Bag, in the case.

This verdict has been seen as a significant step toward delivering justice in crimes against children and sends a strong message against sexual violence against children. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convict. The high court will review the judgment to decide whether to uphold the death sentence.