POCSO Court Hands Death Penalty To Man For Kidnapping, Raping 7-Month-old Child in Kolkata

Kolkata: A special POCSO court on Tuesday sentenced a man to death by hanging for the rape and attempted murder of a seven-month-old child in Kolkata.

The verdict has been pronounced within the 75 days of the convict’s arrest.

The public prosecutor had prayed for the capital punishment, arguing that the crime fell under the ‘rarest of the rare’ case category.

Seventh Death Penalty Pronounced in Last 6 Months 

Prior to this sentence, six convicts were awarded death penalties by courts across West Bengal for perpetrating similar crimes. 

The convict, Rajib Ghosh, was found guilty by judge Indrila Mukherjee under sections 65 (2), 140 (4), 137 (2) and 118 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Sec 6 of the POCSO Act. 

He was arrested on December 5 in Jhargram district, where he had fled after committing a crime on November 30. 

According to special public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee, the victim, a dweller of a road-side shanty, is still undergoing treatment at the ICU of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. 

"She is still fighting for her life, and even if she manages to pull through, it is unlikely that she would ever be able to lead a normal life," he added.

A total of 24 witnesses, including eight experts, were examined during the trial. The assistance from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) was taken by the prosecution. 

"The medical superintendent and vice-principal of RG Kar Medical College, who was among my witnesses, submitted in court that he had never encountered a crime of such brutal nature in his entire career," Chatterjee said.