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Mangaluru: In a first judgement in Dakshina Kannada, the Additional District and Sessions Court - FTSC-II (Pocso) judge Maanu K S awarded death penalty to three for rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.
The convicted are Jayaban Adivasi alias Jayasingh Mukhesh Singh Manish Tirki (21), Mukhesh Singh (20), both hail from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh and Manish Tiriki (33) is from Ranchi.
The fourth accused Muneem Singh from Panna district who was on bail has been absconding.
Special public prosecutor K Badarinath Nayari said that the incident was reported at a tile factory at Tiruvail on November 20, 2021. When none of the labourers were at the factory, the Jayaban lured the minor girl on the pretext of offering money to buy chikki and took her inside the factory where there was no CCTV camera.
Mukhesh sexually assaulted her and had unnatural intercourse with the child. Manish also sexually assaulted her. Despite the victim bleeding profusely, the accused had sexual intercourse with the minor.
When the child started crying loudly, Jayaban held her mouth tightly and strangled her, fearing that she might reveal the incident to others. Later, to hide her death, the victim’s body was placed inside the drain.
Nayari said that the fourth accused Muneem was guarding the room from outside and thereby supported the accused. After committing the crime, all the four fled from the spot.
Based on the complaint by the victim's mother, Mangaluru rural police had registered a case under IPC Sections 120 (B), 366 (A), 376 (D) (B), 377, 302, 201, 34 along with Section 6 of Pocso act. Inspector Johnson D’Souza filed a chargesheet to the court after the inquiry.
The court examined 30 witnesses and 74 documents.
The judge imposed the death penalty on three under IPC Sections 302, 376 (D) (B), 120 (B), 34 and section 6 of Pocso act. All the three were also sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 366 (a) and 34 of IPC and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
All three have been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under IPC sections 377 and 34 and a fine of Rs 20,000 each. The three accused are also sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment under IPC Sections 201, 34 and a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
The court has asked to pay a total of Rs 1.20 lakh fine collected, to the victim’s parents. The judge has also asked the district legal services authority to pay a compensation of Rs 3.80 lakh to the victim's parents.