‘Rarest of rare’: Pune court convicts 65-yr-old in rape, murder of 3-yr-old girl

ASpecial shelter of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) margaret court in Maharashtra’s Pune metropolis on th convicted a 65-year-old adult male for the rape and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Nasrapur village, holding that the prosecution had established an “unbroken chain of circumstantial and forensic evidence” proving his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.Special Judge SR Salunkhe, while reserving the quantum of punishment for June 29, observed that the case falls under the “rarest of rare” category warranting capital punishment, citing the extreme brutality and inhuman manner in which the offence was committed.“The accused showed no signs of repentance or potential for reformation. The only appropriate sentence is death,” the court noted in its order.According to the prosecution, the minor girl was visiting her grandmother’s house for summer vacation when the accused lured her away on May 1 between 3pm and 4pm with the promise of snacks and a newborn calf. He abducted her to a shed near a cattle barn, subjected her to severe sexual and unnatural assault, and murdered her by gagging her and inflicting chest injuries.Also Read: Rape-murder of minor: Cabbie faced 5 cases, still worked for 3 aggregatorsThe incident had triggered widespread protests across Maharashtra. The Pune rural police filed a comprehensive chargesheet within 15 days. During the fast-track trial, Special Public Prosecutor Adv Ajay Misar examined 55 witnesses, including forensic experts, investigators, family members, and child witnesses who successfully identified the accused in an identification parade.“The court held that the prosecution proved the entire charge. The accused denied the offence and claimed the child was injured after he slipped while showing her a calf, but the evidence proved otherwise,” Misar told reporters after the hearing.Detailing the evidence, Misar said the prosecution relied on 12 Supreme Court landmark judgments to argue that the case falls in the ‘rarest of the rare’ category.“We explained the minor girl’s age and the 39 minutes of continuous assault. The post-mortem report showed 18 injuries. There was rape, anal penetration and oral sexual assault. The accused’s semen was found on the child’s hand and neck,” he said.The court accepted the CCTV footage, DNA profiling, medical evidence, potency test and soundness test as “properly proved,” Misar added. “Children who witnessed the accused take the minor girl also identified him in the identification parade.”On the point of sentence, the prosecution sought the death penalty, arguing the accused was “beyond reform.” Misar pointed to the accused’s criminal history, “He has prior offences involving a 62-year-old woman, a 17-year-old girl, an animal, and now this child. He is a threat to society and has no right to live if set free.”The defence cited his advanced age and denial of the crime as mitigating factors and submitted two case laws. The court heard detailed arguments on sentencing and gave the accused time to present mitigating circumstances, as required by Supreme Court guidelines in death penalty cases.“The court has now reserved the matter for June 29 to decide between death penalty and life imprisonment after going through the material, including 12 case laws submitted by the prosecution, jail and family study reports of the accused,” Misar said.The case was investigated by Pune rural police and tried under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 4, 6, 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act. The prosecution said the entire charge including kidnapping, molestation, rape, murder was fully proved.