GUWAHATI: An Assam teenager was sentenced to death by a court on Friday in connection with a case of gang-rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl.
The sentence was pronounced by the court of chief judicial magistrate, Nagaon. The convict, Zakir Hussain, had allegedly taken the lead in raping and killing the minor by setting her on fire.
The court had found Hussain guilty on September 4. It reserved the pronouncement of quantum of punishment for Friday.
Altogether eight people were earlier arrested by the police in connection with the incident. Five of them were acquitted due to lack of evidence against them. The remaining two are juveniles who are being tried in a juvenile court.
On March 23 this year, the victim was gang-raped and set on fire at her residence in Dhaniabheti Lalung Gaon in central Assam’s Nagaon district. On April 28, the police had filed the charge sheet in the case.
Meanwhile, several organisations welcomed the court’s judgement. It was not immediately known if Hussain will move a higher court to challenge the CJM court’s verdict.