By Rakesh Gupta, Nabarangpur: The Nabarangpur District Judge Sri Kishore  Chandra Mohapatra , on Monday, awarded death penalty to a rape and murder convict Misra Parja of Kesarbeda village under Umerkote Police station.

Thirty-year old Parja had raped and murdered a sixty-year-old woman Lachan Dei on 27th February 2011 in a cashew orchard at Matgaon village nearby Kesarabeda.

On that ill-fated day, while Lachan dei was grazing her cows in the nearby field of her village, Parja sexually assaulted and killed her subsequently.

However, in the mean time, a couple– Durlabha Santa, and her wife Neela Santa, who were working at the nearby paddy field, rushed to the place and tried to stop Parja but failed after getting threatens from the culprit.

After a while, when the couple revisited the place along with some villagers, they found that Parja was trying to dispose the dead body.

Then a case was registered at the Umerkote Police station against Paraja and public prosecutor Prakash Misra fought the case for the victim. After examining as many as 18 witnesses and circumstantial evidence, the District Court convicted Paraja and pronounced death sentence.

This is the second death penalty awarded in Nabarangpur District Court.