Jabalpur rape case: SC commutes death penalty of convict

The Supreme Court on Friday commuted the death penalty of a convict in a rape and murder case of a seven-year-old girl that took place in 2011 in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

The apex court said the case does not fall in the rarest of rare category and clarified that the convict will not be released before 25 years behind bars.

Earlier in February 2013, a local court in Jabalpur awarded death sentence to the accused.

Terming the case as 'rarest of rare', Additional District Judge Chandresh Khare awarded capital punishment to Pancham Lodhi on the basis of evidence submitted by prosecution.

As per the prosecution, Pancham Lodhi of Sunachar village in Jabalpur district lured the minor girl to his house and raped her on May 12, 2011.

When the girl raised an alarm, he strangulated her and later dumped her body on a loft inside his house

A case under Sections 302 (murder), 363 (kidnapping), 366, 376 (rape) and 201 of the IPC was registered against him and submitted for trial after the probe.

The death sentence was upheld by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.