Double death sentence has been awarded to two accused by a Sessions Court in Mandsaur for raping a minor and attempting murder of a seven-year-old girl in Mandsaur. This marks the 14th death penalty awarded in the State including all crimes and the 13th death sentence in sexual offences.
The Sessions Judge punished the two accused with death sentence under section 376 AB which has been newly introduced in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provides punishment for death sentence for raping children below 12 years of age along with section 376D IPC for committing gang-rape. Asif and Irfan have been charged under various sections of POCSO Act, kidnapping, abduction of a woman, illicit intercourse, and murder.
The accused had enticed the girl outside her school and took her to a separate area, raped her and tried to murder her by slitting her throat. The two accused were caught by the police through CCTV footages and accounts of witnesses.
The trial for the case had begun in Mandsaur on July 30 and the final arguments were made before the court on August 14. The victim was the witness in the case who was admitted at the MY hospital Indore during the proceedings and a private vehicle was used to take her to Mandsaur for recording statements before the Judge. Other witnesses included the victim’s family members, her classmates, police experts, forensic experts, medical experts etc.
