Man sentenced to death for rape, murder of 7-yr-old

The Pocso court judge J Radhika pronounced the verdict that the convict Santhosh Kumar be hanged till death. The court also awarded him life imprisonment for charges under POCSO Act and seven years of imprisonment under IPC section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence). He was also slapped a penalty of Rs 2,000.

According to the prosecution, the victim, who was playing in front of her house went missing and was found dead in an alley near her house on March 25. The severely injured body of the girl was wrapped in a t-shirt, which turned out to be a crucial evidence for the police to crack the case. A post mortem at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital confirmed that the girl was raped and smothered to death. After investigations, the Coimbatore rural police, a week later, arrested Santhosh Kumar, who confessed to have raped, killed and hid the body of the girl in one of the rooms, even as relatives visited his house to mourn the death of his grandmother.

In a twist in the case, the victim’s mother moved the court, a day before judgment on Thursday seeking a re-investigation as the forensic report has suggested more than one person to be involved in rape. The judge, who took up her plea, has also ordered a re-investigation into the case by police.

Meanwhile, members of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), who had gathered in the court premises shouted slogans welcoming the death penalty for the accused. They also demanded re-investigation into the case to punish the other accused too.

The victim’s mother, who was in the court, said to media that this death penalty should be a deterrent for others committing such heinous crimes against children. “No other child should undergo such pain and cruelty like my daughter. Another person is also involved in the offence and police should investigate and get him also punished,” she said.