Cuttack: A 32-year-old man was sentenced to death by a special POCSO court here on Thursday for rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in Salepur area of Cuttack district in 2018.The verdict has been welcomed by almost all sections of the society. In a strong message that the diabolic crime had shocked the collective conscience of the society, the court pronounced the death penalty to the convict.
While the special POCSO court had confirmed the death sentence, it might also be challenged by the accused in the Orissa High Court, sources said.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Additional District Session Court Judge Bandana Kar convicted the accused Md Mustaq for the heinous crime. According to the case diary, on April 21, 2018, the minor, a resident of Jaganathpur village in Salepur, was playing with her brother when the accused man lured the minor with chocolate.
The accused then took her to a school and outraged her modesty. Later, Mustaq thrashed the face of the minor with stone and fled the spot.
The girl was rescued and admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. However, she succumbed on April 29 while undergoing treatment.
Based on the complaint, police arrested the accused from Mahal Bazar. A charge sheet was filed 19 days after the incident against the Mushtaq and forwarded him to the court.
Hearing the case, the court has ordered the death penalty for the accused.
Prasanta Patnaik