Man gets death for rape, murder of minor in 2019

A Delhi court on Friday sentenced a man to death for the 2019 rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, calling the crime “rarest of the rare” and emphasising that society’s interest in protecting vulnerable children from such horrific crimes warranted the strictest punishment.

The court also handed a life term to the convict’s father for aiding in the murder to cover up the sexual assault.

Declaring that convict Rajender was a “menace to society” and that his crime fell in the “rarest of rare” category, additional sessions judge Babita Puniya stated that there was “no probability of his reformation”, necessitating his “removal from society”.

The court also sentenced Rajender’s father, Ram Saran, to life imprisonment for participating in the gruesome murder of an innocent, defenceless child to eliminate evidence of the sexual assault committed by his son.

Rajender was convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), while his father, Ram Saran, was found guilty of murder and destruction of evidence.

Rajender’s death penalty is subject to confirmation by the high court, as required by law.

The eight-year-old victim had gone missing on February 9, 2019, and her body was found two days later in a park, with her limbs tied with a plastic rope.

The court noted the brutality of the crime, stating, “The nature of the crime and society’s interest in protecting vulnerable children from horrendous experiences warrant a severe sentence.”

The court took note of Rajender’s past criminal record, revealing that he had previously kidnapped another minor girl, committed penetrative sexual assault, and had obtained bail then by falsely claiming to be a juvenile.

Instead of reforming himself after being granted bail, the court said, Rajender targeted another innocent child, subjected her to brutal sexual violence, and, with his father’s assistance, murdered her to cover up his crime.

“By granting bail in the first sexual offence, he was given a chance to reform himself. However, instead of taking that opportunity, he committed an even more heinous crime — violating the child and then killing her with his father’s help,” the judgment noted.

The court condemned Ram Saran for shielding his son instead of guiding him after the first offense. “Had he guided his son onto the right path, the next crime may never have happened. Instead, he tried to conceal his son’s misdeeds and ended up murdering a seven-year-old defenceless child,” the verdict stated.

The father-son duo was convicted under various sections of IPC for murder and common intention, while Rajender faced additional convictions for sexual offences, kidnapping and destruction of evidence.

The court expressed anguish over the victim’s fate, stating, “She had the right to bloom like a flower in a safe environment—one that we, as a society, failed to provide.” Rejecting leniency, the judge ruled that showing mercy would amount to failing in its duty toward the victim and society.

Additionally, fines were imposed on both convicts under relevant legal provisions.