Jodhpur (Rajasthan): A court in Rajasthan's Pali district sentenced to death a man convicted of raping a minor girl and murdering her and her minor brother. It also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the convict.
While delivering the verdict, Judge Anwar Ahmad Chauhan said the man had crossed the limits of criminality and remarked, "The accused has committed a heinous crime, so capital punishment is warranted." Public Prosecutor Khemaram Patel said the accused, 22-year-old Arjun Singh of Aasan Jodhwan village in the Siriyari area of Pali district, was found guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl. He was also found guilty of crushing to death with a stone on May 1 both the girl and her 13-year-old brother.
The girl and her brother had gone to graze their goats, Patel said. "When they did not return home, the police and family members began a search for them. Their mutilated bodies were found the next day," he said. The post-mortem confirmed that the girl was raped. "After raping her, the accused murdered the girl. Upon hearing her screams, her brother arrived at the scene. Fearing being identified, the accused brutally attacked and killed her brother as well," Patel said.
While delivering the judgment, the court convicted Singh of both the rape and the double murder. He was sentenced to life in prison till death under the POCSO Act for the rape and to death in the double-murder case. A cash penalty of Rs 5 lakh was also imposed, Patel said.
