Datia (Madhya Pradesh): A convict in the abduction, rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl was sentenced to death and fined ₹18,000 by a special POCSO court following a directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday.
According to information, the convict was identified as Chhatrapal Singh Rawat (29), a resident of Bansgarh village in Karera, Shivpuri district.
The incident dates back to May 2022. The nine-year-old girl went missing during a wedding ceremony in the Goraghat police station area. Despite an extensive search by her family, her body was found the next day in bushes along a canal.
There were visible injury marks on the body. A post-mortem examination and police investigations confirmed that the girl had been raped and subsequently murdered. The incident had shaken the entire state.
Following the investigation, police arrested Rawat and registered a case against him under various sections, including those related to abduction, rape, murder and the POCSO Act.
After the trial, the court had initially sentenced Rawat to death in December 2022.
However, Rawat challenged the verdict in the High Court. During the hearing, the High Court remanded the case back to the trial court, citing a procedural error.
The court directed that the Investigating Officer's testimony be recorded in the presence of the convict and that the case be reheard to deliver a fresh verdict.
Complying with the High Court's directives, the special POCSO court reviewed all evidence, recorded the Investigating Officer's testimony and, after hearing arguments from both sides, once again sentenced Rawat to death.
In its judgment, the court stated that the strictest punishment was essential for heinous crimes against girls to send a clear message to society that such offences would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The death sentence handed down for the second time by the trial court in this high-profile case, which dates back nearly three years, is being viewed as a significant step towards justice for the victim's family.
Further legal proceedings regarding the verdict will now take place in the High Court, as confirmation by the High Court is mandatory before a death sentence can be executed in India.
