MP teacher awarded death sentence for minor's rape moves SC

A school teacher convicted for raping a four-year-old-girl has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against his death penalty, a prison official said on Thursday.

Mahendra Singh Gond (28) filed the SLP in the Supreme Court on February 11, challenging his death sentence in the rape case, Jabalpur Central Jail's law officer Ashok Singh told PTI.

A trial court in Satna had earlier this month issued a 'death warrant' against Gond after the Madhya Pradesh High Court confirmed his death sentence on January 25, he said.

The trial court had sent the death warrant, fixing his execution for March 2, 2019, through an e-mail to the Central Jail earlier this month.

The convict has other remedies also as he can file a mercy petition before the President, Singh said, adding the death warrant will be executed only after all the available legal remedies are exhausted.

The trial court had sentenced Gond to death under the recently-introduced Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 376(a)(b) (raping a minor under 12 years of age).

Gond was also found guilty under IPC Section 363 (kidnapping), for which he was awarded seven years' rigorous imprisonment, besides being fined Rs 5,000, Singh said.

According to the prosecution, the convict had raped the minor girl after kidnapping her from her house on July 1, 2018 and later dumped her in the bushes.

The girl received severe injuries in the incident and was admitted to a Delhi-based hospital.

Gond was later arrested by the police and a charge sheet was filed against him.

Madhya Pradesh was the first state to enact a law in December 2017, providing for death penalty for rapists of girls below 12 years of age.

The Centre had brought an amendment in the IPC to punish the rapists of girls below 12 years of age with death last year.