Jalgaon court sentences man to death for raping & murdering 13-year-old girl, killing her 3 minor siblings

Nashik: A special court in Jalgaon on Thursday sentenced a 25-year-old man to death for raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl, and also killing her three minor siblings in 2020, terming it a “rarest of rare” crime.

In its order, the special court of additional sessions judge S R Yadav court observed that the accused had “wiped out four minor children in a premeditated and cold-blooded, exceptionally cruel and diabolic manner. One of them was raped by him. In my view, it is a rarest of rare case. The act of the accused is unpardonable and it warrants the death penalty”.

The court ordered that the sentence be executed by hanging, subject to confirmation by the high court. Special Judge Yadav found the accused guilty after studying the statements of the complainant and witnesses, and the circumstantial evidence submitted by investigation officer additional SP Kumar Chintha.

The court convicted the accused (aged 19 at the time of the crime) for the offence punishable under Section 302 (murder) on four counts of the Indian Penal Code and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000. The court also sentenced the accused for the offence punishable under Section 376 (3) (rape on a woman under 16 years of age) of the IPC, and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, read with Section 42, to death and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.

The crime occurred on Oct 14, 2020, in a Jalgaon village when the victims, aged between six and 14, were alone at their temporary home in the farm of a man. Their parents, who worked for the man on his farm, had gone to Madhya Pradesh to attend a relative’s last rites.

The convict was a friend of one of the deceased children and had stayed overnight at their home. He raped the 13-year-old girl and axed her to death along with the her two brothers and a sister, all aged between 6 and 14, and fled. The crime came to light the following day when the landlord went to check if the children had woken up. On getting no response, he opened the door and found their bodies.

The Jalgaon police registered a case under sections 302, 376(3) of IPC and other sections of Pocso Act and arrested the accused on Oct 22, 2020.

Considering the serious nature of the crime, state govt appointed advocate Ujjwal Nikam the special public prosecutor. The prosecution examined 27 witnesses. Nikam said, “The accused had shown extreme brutality. The minor victims allowed the accused into their house because of their absolute faith in him. But he committed the rape and murders. Besides, there was no remorse on his part after committing the crime.”

The court has recommended suitable compensation under the Victim Compensation Scheme for the children’s parents. The convict can file an appeal against the special court’s judgment before the high court within 30 days from the date of the sentence.

Additional SP Chintha, who investigated the case, said the death penalty “is a real justice for the victims”.