A special court in South 24 Parganas district on Friday sentenced a 19-year-old man to death for raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl — within 62 days of the crime. The girl’s body was found in the pond on October 5. The accused was arrested hours later on the same day. The girl disappeared on October 4 while returning home from the tuition class.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed the verdict, calling it “unprecedented in the history of the state”.
On Thursday, Additional District Judge Subrata Chattopadhyay’s POCSO court convicted the accused Mustakin Sardar under Sections 65 (rape), 66 (punishment causing death due to persistent vegetative state of the victim) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). and 103 (murder), excluding the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act. The court has also directed to provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s family.
The court on Friday sentenced the convict to death and described the case as a rare case of the rare.
The police had filed the charge sheet on November 30th and the trial which started on November 5th was over in 21 days. The incident, which took place amid protests against the rape and murder of doctors from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, led to violent protests in the area. Protesters torched vehicles, vandalized police stations and blocked roads.
Special public prosecutor Biwas Chatterjee, who fought the case, said, “This verdict may set a precedent in the history of criminal jurisprudence in the country because of the speed with which the investigation and trial took place.”
“In a sharply polarized environment where demands for justice have become a talking point over the RG Kar rape and murder case, this verdict will prove that not all is wrong with Bengal’s police and justice system…,” Chatterjee said.
– With PTI input