Gurugram: HC upholds death penalty to man in 3-year-old’s rape-murder case

The case was registered at the Sector-65 police station in Gurugram after dead body of a girl child was found near a temple on November 12, 2018

Terming the act as ‘monster like’, the Punjab and Haryana high court has confirmed death penalty awarded by a Gururgram court to a 29-year-old man in the rape and murder case of a three-year-old girl child in 2018.

Police got initial leads from a CCTV footage in which the accused was seen going with the child towards a secluded area and then returning alone. (Getty image)

The case was registered at the Sector-65 police station in Gurugram after dead body of a girl child was found near a temple on November 12, 2018. The girl was daughter of a migrant labourer who went missing a day before when her parents were out for work and she was at home with her two brothers and a sister. According to the FIR, the accused, Sunil, lured the girl and took her to a secluded spot where he committed rape and later killed the victim by smashing her head with a brick. The body was found on November 12 and accused was arrested from Jharkhand on November 19.

Police got initial leads from a CCTV footage in which the accused was seen going with the child towards a secluded area and then returning alone.

The special POCSO court had sentenced Sunil to death under IPC sections 302 (murder), 376 AB (punishment for rape on a woman under twelve years of age) and Section 6 (aggravated assault ) of POCSO Act on February 21, 2024. The accused had challenged the conviction in the high court while state had filed appeal for confirmation of sentence.

The court found that the DNA report had established that blood stains on the body of the victim and other swabs belonged to the convict. Also, he had given a signed confessional statement about the manner in which crime was committed, which matched with the nature of injuries inflicted upon the victim girl.

The court also took note of the fact that it was the convict who got recovered the weapons used in the crime.

It also took note of trial court observations, which describing the brutal nature of the case had said, “In view of barbarity of the offences committed by the convict, there is no reason to believe that he would be reformed and would not be a menace to the society. He does not deserve any mercy.”

“Evidently, the instant case appertains to the gruesome murder of a girl child but after committing rape upon her. It exemplifies dehumanized and ‘monster-like’ conduct of the convict-appellant. As such, for the supra reasons, and, also for the well made reasons by the learned trial Judge concerned, .this court is coaxed to accept the murder reference,” the bench said while upholding the trial court judgment. The court directed that capital punishment be executed after the time of appeal against the judgment elapses.