Kolkata Court Sentences Man to Death for Rape and Murder of Seven-Year-Old Girl

A Kolkata court sentenced a man to death for the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in 2023. The girl went missing from her home in Tiljala on March 26, 2023. After the body was found, the tenant of a nearby flat was arrested and charged. The court described the case as the rarest of rare.

A Kolkata court on Thursday sentenced a man to death for the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in 2023, declaring it a case of the rarest of rare nature.

The girl had gone missing from near her house at Tiljala in south-east Kolkata on March 26 last year when she went out on some chores. Following the filing of a missing diary, the police discovered her body in a nearby flat.

The tenant of the flat was arrested and charged with the rape and murder of the girl after post-mortem examination reports confirmed the crimes. The autopsy revealed blunt weapon injuries and strangulation marks post-rape.

Special Judge (POCSO) at Alipore court, Sudipto Bhattacharya, sentenced the accused to death, emphasizing the heinous nature of the crime and the girl's inability to defend herself. Public prosecutor Madhavi Ghosh noted that the trial was completed within a year after the charges were framed. Additionally, the court ordered the West Bengal government to pay Rs 10 lakh to the girl's mother under the state's victim compensation scheme.

(With inputs from agencies.)