'Examine probability of reformimg toddler's murderer'

The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government to examine whether there is any probability of reforming and rehabilitating a farmhouse guard who had raped and killed a three-year-old girl.

The high court Thursday upheld the life sentence awarded by a trial court to the 56-year-old guard.

The trial court had last July awarded the death sentence to guard Bharat Singh for killing the child and a concurrent life term for raping her. The victim died while she was being raped as her internal organs had come out.

A special bench of Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice Mukta Gupta directed the home department of the Delhi government to appoint a Probation Officer (PO) to examine the chances of his reformation after which the court will decide on the death sentence.

The court Thursday asked the government to file the report in a sealed cover within 10 weeks and posted the matter for July 11.

The girl April 10, 2011 was returning to her house in Kapashera in southwest Delhi when she strayed towards the farmhouse. The girl was called inside by Bharat Singh, who was alone on duty, and was raped by him, the prosecution had said.

The high court asked the government to examine the probability of whether the accused would commit criminal acts of violence or would constitute a continuing threat to society and probability of his reformation and rehabilitation.

It asked the PO to enquire about his conduct in prison from the jail administration and also ask from his family and locals regarding his behavioural traits.

It also asked the PO to consult and seek specific inputs from two professionals in the fields of clinical psychology and sociology.