Man sentenced to death for rape, murder of 6-year-old girl
A court in Punjab's Mansa district today awarded death sentence to a man, Kala Ram, in connection with the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in 2016, describing the case as "rarest of rare". The court of Additional Session Judge Jaspal Verma observed that the faith of the society by such a "barbaric act" of the convict gets totally shaken. Here's more.
Accused kidnapped the girl from marriage function, raped her
Ram, who was a distant relative of the victim, had come to Amapur Mandira village in Mansa district to attend a wedding. On May 11, 2016, Ram, who lives in Fatehabad district of Haryana, first kidnapped the girl from the function and then took her to a nearby canal, where he raped and then strangulated her to death. Ram, a daily-wager, was later arrested.
Offense was not only inhumane but a ruthless crime: Judge
"The offense was not only inhumane and barbaric but it was a totally ruthless crime of rape followed by cold-blooded murder. It is an act of taking advantage of absolute innocence," the judge wrote in the order. "Hence, he (Ram) is sentenced to death under section 376 A of the IPC for committing rape and murder of the minor girl," the order further stated.
Accused was booked under different IPC sections
The accused, who was 40 years old at the time of the crime, admitted in his confessional statement that he killed the girl after raping her, victim's counsel said. He was booked under relevant sections of the IPC, including Section 364 (kidnapping), 376 A (punishment for rape and death), 302 (murder), and under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
