19-year-old awarded death for rape, murder of girl

A 19-year-old man was Wednesday sentenced to death by a court in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh for raping and murdering a five-year-old girl in August this year.

Additional District Sessions Judge A K Singh held the accused, Anand Kushwaha, guilty under relevant sections of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court awarded Kushwaha death sentence under sections 376(A) (rape) and 302 (murder) of the IPC, said special public prosecutor Sheikh Wasim.

The convict is a resident of Jatasi in Jabalpur district.

The accused and the victim were related. Her father lodged a complaint at a police station at Katangi on August 20 after she went missing, saying that he suspected Kushwaha, the prosecutor said.

The girl had gone missing on August 19 when her parents went out for work in a farm.

Kushwaha had told them that he had taken out the girl to buy her a chocolate and then left her near her house.

During the interrogation he confessed to raping and killing her and dumping the body in the septic tank of his house.

The body was recovered from the tank.

The police had submitted the charge sheet within four days.