Man sentenced to death for rape, murder of minor

A court here on Monday sentenced a man to death for raping and murdering a six-year-old girl, and for also killing his own mother.

Special Judge P. Velumurgan of Mahila Court, Chengalpet, pronounced the death sentence and also awarded P. Daswant a jail term of 46 years on separate counts, ensuring he never walks out of prison alive.

"It is death by hanging," said the judge leading to cheers from people outside the court.

On February 16 last year, Daswant raped the minor at his flat in Mangadu near Porur on the outskirts of Chennai, and then suffocated her to death. He stuffed her body in a bag and and burnt it at a desolated place on a highway.

Though he was soon arrested in connection with the girl's murder, he obtained bail in September 2017 after police failed to file the chargesheet within the stipulated period of 90 days.

After coming out on bail in September last year, Daswant was living with his parents.

On December 2, the body of his mother S. Sarla was found in a pool of blood and Daswant was suspected of the crime. He was arrested from Mumbai, where he had fled, on December 6.

In less than three months, the fast-track court came out with the verdict against Daswant, who has accepted his crime.

Reacting to the verdict, the girl's father said he was satisfied. "I wanted nothing less than death for the monster," he told the media.

"When I started pursuing the case, I was advised against it as courts take a long time. But I am happy it got over," he said.

--IANS

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