Death Sentence Awarded To Youth In 61 Days For Minor's Rape-Murder In Jaynagar

A class 4 student was raped and murdered in Jaynagar on October 4 and a POSCO court awarded death penalty to the accused on Thursday.

Baruipur:A POCSO court in Baruipur of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas has awarded death sentence to Mustaqin, convicted of rape and murder of a minor girl from Jaynagar.

The verdict, which has come 61 days after the crime was reported, is a stark reminder to the trial in the rape and murder case of the RG Kar Hospital doctor that is continuing for more than four months.

Mustaqin's conviction was ordered by the Baruipur Sub-district Court Judge Subrata Chatterjee on Thursday. The case was investigated by the West Bengal Police.

The investigation began after a case was registered against Mustaqin under the POCSO Act. The police formed an SIT on October 7 and chargesheet was submitted to the Baruipur court on October 30, which is 25 days after the incident.

The trial began in the fast-track court and nearly 36 people testified in the case. Finally, after hearing the statements of all parties and examining the evidence, the Baruipur POCSO court convicted Mustaqin on December 5.

The victim's family members are happy that the accused has been sentenced to death. The victim, a class 4 student had gone for tuition on October 4. Her family was worried when she did not return home till late in the evening. After initial inquiries, they went to Jaynagar police station to report a missing person case but the police sent them to Kultali police station.

It was alleged that the police did not pay attention to the matter. Even when they went to report the complaint, the police allegedly did not give them a patient hearing. When they wanted to file an FIR, the police reportedly did not accept it. A thorough search for the missing minor girl began.

Finally, in the early hours, the body of the girl was recovered from a wetland near the minor's house. Multiple injury marks were found on her body.

At that time, the minor's family had alleged that the girl was raped and murdered before being dumped into a pond. Later, the family filed a written complaint at the Joynagar police station.

It has been alleged that the family first went to the Mahishmari police station to file a complaint and were told to go to the Joynagar police station instead of registering the complaint there. The Jaynagar police station again sent them to the Kultali police station.

The family claimed that the girl could have been saved had the police taken prompt action. After which, violence broke out in Jaynagar and Kultali.

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