BELGAVI: In a landmark verdict that underscores the gravity of crimes against children, the Belagavi District POCSO Court here on Friday sentenced a 28-year-old man to death for the brutal rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in 2019. The crime has been described as "barbaric" and one that "shocked the collective conscience of society."
The convicted man, Bhartesh Ravasab Mirji, a resident of Paramanandawadi in Raibag taluk, was found guilty on all counts, including rape, murder, and destruction of evidence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The harrowing incident occurred on October 15, 2019. The minor victim had left her home around 5:30 pm to buy a chocolate from a nearby shop close to the Basavanna Devaru Temple. When she did not return, her family began a frantic search.
Her father, the complainant in the case, stated that upon returning from the fields with his wife, he was informed that their daughter had gone to the shop but had not come back. After checking with the shopkeeper, who confirmed the girl had bought a chocolate and left, and scouring the neighbourhood and fields to no avail, the family approached the Kudachi Police Station.
A massive search operation was launched. The Belagavi Dog Squad was summoned to aid in the investigation. The breakthrough came when the investigation, led by PSI G.S. Uppar and team, including N. Mahesh and K.S. Hatti, zeroed in on Mirji. The case was later committed to the Additional District Sessions Court-01 in Belagavi.
The prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor L.V. Patil, presented a watertight case. The court heard testimonies from 20 witnesses and examined 106 documents and 22 material objects. The prosecution established that Mirji, with the intent to sexually assault the child, lured her to his house. When the girl began to scream, he strangulated her, tied a 20 kg stone to her body, and dumped her in a well near his house to eliminate evidence.
After the trial, Judge C.M. Pushpalata pronounced the verdict, stating that the charges against the accused were proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The court imposed the death sentence, noting the extreme depravity and cruelty of the crime. In a significant move towards restorative justice, the court also directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the girl’s parents.
The verdict has been met with a sense of sombre relief, seen as a stern message in the fight against sexual violence targeting the most vulnerable.