Agra: Death penalty for 2 men for rape, murder of 5-year-old girl

Agra (UP), Oct 17 (PTI) A special court in Agra sentenced two men to death for the kidnapping, gang-rape, and the brutal murder of a five-year-old girl, terming the crime "rarest of the rare", prosecution lawyers said on Friday.

Special Judge Sonika Chaudhary of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Court (Sessions Court No 27) handed down four death sentences to the accused, identified as Amit and Nikhil, under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Both were also fined a total of Rs 4.5 lakh, which will be given as compensation to the victim's parents, according to Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC) Subhash Giri and Special Public Prosecutor (POCSO) Vijay Kishan Lavania.

The court observed that the offences, which included kidnapping, gang-rape, and murder, along with a ransom demand, warranted the strictest punishment. Execution of the death sentences will remain stayed until confirmation by the Allahabad High Court, the prosecution said.

According to officials, the five-year-old girl went missing on March 18, 2024. The next day, Amit allegedly called the victim's father, demanding a ransom of Rs 6 lakh and threatening to kill her if police were informed. When the ransom was not paid, the accused allegedly sexually assaulted the girl and murdered her.

The girl's body was recovered on March 20, 2024, from a mustard field along the railway line. Post-mortem findings indicated strangulation marks and evidence of sexual assault, officials stated.

The court also sentenced the accused to additional punishments for other serious offences, including life imprisonment and fines for unnatural offences and destruction of evidence, according to the prosecution. PTI COR KIS MPL MPL