INDIA: KARNATAKA COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO THREE MEN IN RAPE AND MURDER CASE OF AN 8-YEAR-OLD

November 12, 2024:

A Mangaluru court on November 7, 2024 awarded death sentences to three men after finding them guilty of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.
The incident occurred in 2021, at a tile factory in Thiruvail, on the outskirts of Mangaluru.
According to a report in Times of India, the court convicted Jayban Adivasi (24), Mukhesh Singh (23) from Panna district in MP; and Manish Tirki (36) from Ranchi in Jharkhand. The fourth accused, Muneem Singh from MP, who was on bail, is absconding. The court examined 30 witnesses and 74 documents.
According to the reports, the convicts lured the minor under the pretext of buying toffee and sexually assaulted her. When the child started screaming for help, one of the convicts strangled her to death. To further hide their crime, the convicts dumped the child’s body in a drain.
The report further stated that the fourth accused Muneem Singh was guarding the door.
The Judge convicted Jayaban, Mukesh and Manish for offences punishable under Sections 302, 376 (A) and (D), 377 and 120(B) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under Sections 5 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
They were also asked to pay a total of ₹1.2 lakh as compensation to the victim’s parents.
The parents are liable to get additional compensation of ₹3.8 lakh from the District Legal Services Authority under the Victim Compensation Scheme, the judge stated according to The Hindu.
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.