NALGONDA: A fast-track court for Rape and POCSO Act cases in Nalgonda has sentenced a 24-year-old accused, Md Mukarram, to death by hanging for raping and murdering a minor girl.
Additional District Judge N Rojaramani pronounced the verdict on Thursday, bringing to an end a trial that had continued for the last ten years.
According to the prosecution, Mukarram, a butcher from Nalgonda town, raped a 12-year-old girl on 28 April 2013. The girl had reportedly told her mother that she was going to a friend’s house but did not return home. Her body was found in a nala (drain) the following day.
Investigations revealed that the accused, after raping and murdering the girl, dumped her body in a nearby nala.
The court held the accused guilty of offences punishable under Sections 376-A, 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. Accordingly, he was convicted under Section 235(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for the said offences.
For the offence punishable under Section 302 of the IPC, the accused was sentenced to death by hanging and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 50,000. In default of payment, he will undergo simple imprisonment for six months, in addition to the principal sentence.
For the offence under Section 201 of the IPC, he was sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000. In default of payment, he will undergo simple imprisonment for six months, in addition to the principal sentence.
Since the victim was a child at the time of the offence, the accused was also sentenced to death under Section 5 of the POCSO Act (punishable under Section 6 of the same Act) and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 50,000. In default of payment, he will again face simple imprisonment for six months, in addition to the principal sentence.
The total fine amount of Rs 1,10,000 has been ordered to be paid to the victim’s mother as compensation for her pain and suffering. Additionally, the court awarded Rs 10,00,000 as compensation to the victim’s mother for her physical and mental trauma, directing the Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority to take immediate steps to ensure payment.