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Ghaziabad court awards death penalty to man for toddler’s rape and murder
The police filed the charge sheet in the case on December 16, 2020 and charges were framed on December 24, 2020
A Ghaziabad court on Wednesday awarded death penalty to a 30-year-old man for brutally raping and murdering a two-and-half-year-old daughter of his colleague on the night on October 19 last year, terming the case as “rarest of rare”.
The court fast tracked the case and held the accused guilty on January 18 after a trial of about a month and pronounced quantum of punishment on Wednesday.
The crime took place on the night of October 19, 2020 when convict Chandan Pandey, who is colleague of deceased girl’s father, went to her house and forcibly took away the child from her mother on the pretext of taking her to a nearby shop.
After Pandey did not return till late night, the family began a search for her and also approached the police. Her mutilated body was found from near a drain near the transport department office in an industrial area on the afternoon of October 20, 2020.
Pandey was nabbed thereafter.
The prosecution said that the autopsy report confirmed eight external injuries on the victim including a broken hyoid bone and concluded rape and death due to asphyxia resulting after antemortem throttling.
The court also relied upon the “last seen” theory besides the forensic test reports which confirmed that the DNA of the man was found on body of the victim girl.
Mahendra Srivastava, Special Judge (POCSO Act), held Pandey guilty on January 18 and awarded him death penalty under the provisions of the Act on Wednesday. Pandey was also awarded life imprisonment section for murder and seven years imprisonment for destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code.
“The man brutally raped the minor girl and also murdered her and hid the body near to a drain at scene of crime. The prosecution produced 10 witnesses while no one, including the family of the convict, turned up for his defence. We also produced witnesses including girl’s mother who confirmed that the man took away her daughter. One witness also saw Pandey taking away the girl on his shoulders near the scene of crime,” said Utkarsh Vats, special public prosecutor.
The Ghaziabad police also procured a CCTV footage from a mobile shop which confirmed that Pandey between 8.50 pm to 8.55 pm was seen taking away the girl with him.
The police filed the charge sheet in the case on December 16, 2020 and charges were framed on December 24, 2020 under sections of the POCSO Act and also under IPC sections 302, 201, 376(a), 376(ab).
The girl’s father and Pandey were known to each other for about 10-12 years and worked at a same factory in Ghaziabad. At times, Pandey used to stay with the family and the girl also called him as “chacha” (uncle).
“The court relied on several rulings and observed that the act also impacts society besides there is no possibility of revival of the convict. Besides, there was also a high level of brutality done with the deceased girl. Taking these into consideration, the court pronounced death penalty for the man,” Vats, added.
Pandey is married and has two minor children.
