West Bengal man sentenced to death by hanging for raping 7-month-old child, attempting murder

A man from West Bengal's Jhargram district was on Tuesday sentenced to death by hanging after a special POCSO court in Kolkata held him guilty in connection with the rape and attempted murder of a seven-month-old child.

The conviction in the case took place within 75 days of the accused's arrest.

Judge Indrila Mukherjee found the convict Rajib Ghosh guilty under sections 65 (2), 140 (4), 137 (2) and 118 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Sec 6 of the POCSO Act.

He was convicted on Monday by the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) court at Bankshall court, and the quantum of punishment was announced by the court after hearing the final round of submissions, reported PTI.

The public prosecutor representing the state had prayed for capital punishment, arguing that the crime fell under the ‘rarest of the rare’ case.

Special public prosecutor Bibhas Chatterjee said that it took just 40 days to complete the trial process, which commenced on January 7.

Victim undergoing treatment

Chatterjee said that the victim, a dweller of a roadside shanty, is still undergoing treatment at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Arrest

The crime was committed by Ghosh on November 30 last year. He was arrested from his residence in the Gopiballavpur area of Jhargram district, where he had fled, in the early hours of December 5.

Chargesheet

The first charge sheet in the case was filed by the police on December 30. Days later, they followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet.

Seventh death sentence

In the last six months, Rajib Ghosh's death sentence became the seventh death sentence awarded by courts in West Bengal and the sixth capital punishment awarded under the POCSO Act for perpetrating sexual assault on minors.

On January 20, a Kolkata court sentenced Sanjay Roy to imprisonment till death after he was convicted of the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.