Chhattisgarh court sentences man to death for brutal killing of 4-year-old

Statesman News Service | Raipur | November 28, 2024 

A Raipur court has awarded the death penalty to Panchram Gendre alias Mannu, convicted of the brutal murder of a 4-year-old boy in 2022. The convict, driven by unrequited obsession, abducted the child, doused him in petrol, and set him ablaze to exact revenge against the boy’s mother. The heinous crime that triggered widespread outrage across Chhattisgarh, unfolded in Raipur’s Urla area, where Panchram, a trusted neighbour of the victim’s family, exploited their trust to carry out the barbaric act.

Panchram Gendre

The incident unfolded on the morning of April 5, 2022, when Harsh, the son of daily-wager Jayendra, went missing from his home in Urla. Panchram, a neighbour and a trusted family acquaintance, had lured the child away on his motorcycle. By evening, Harsh’s charred remains were discovered at a cremation ground in Bemetara district, 70 kilometers away. The investigation revealed that Panchram, who lived in the same rental complex as Harsh’s family, harbored an obsessive affection for theboy’s mother. Police stated that Panchram, whose wife had left him years ago, abducted and killed Harsh to take revenge after his advances toward the boy’s mother were spurned. “Panchram wanted to eliminate Harsh, believing that this would pave the way for him to get closer to the boy’s mother,” said an official involved in the case. Panchram was arrested within days after he sold his motorcycle in Bhilai and attempted to flee the state. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime, providing details that shocked even seasoned investigators. Evidence, including eyewitness accounts and forensic findings, established his guilt. The court, in its judgment, noted the premeditated and barbaric nature of the crime, stating that it fell into the “rarest of rare” category warranting capital punishment.

The boy’s mother, who had previously endured unwanted advances from Panchram, expressed her anguish during the trial. “He took away my son to punish me for rejecting him. No punishment can bring my child back, but I am relieved that justice has been served,” she said. This is the first death sentence handed down in Raipur in 46 years, marking a significant moment in the city’s judicial history. The last execution in Raipur was carried out on October 25, 1978, when Baiju, a convict found guilty of murdering four people for ₹2,000, was hanged at the Raipur Central Jail. The recent verdict, delivered just two and a half years after the gruesome incident, highlights the judiciary’s commitment to swift and decisive action in heinous crimes. Crimes against children remain a significant concern in India. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 43,000 cases involving minors were reported in 2023. Such statistics underscore the need for robust preventive mechanisms, including community vigilance and awareness campaigns, to ensure children’s safety.

Source: https://www.thestatesman.com/india/chhattisgarh-court-sentences-man-to-death-for-brutal-killing-of-4-year-old-1503370061.html

West Bengal - 7 men who killed 23-yr-old in 2020, chopped body into pieces, get death penalty

Nov 28, 2024

By HT Correspondent

Police said the eighth accomplice, who helped dispose of the body, has been sentenced to seven years in jail

KOLKATA: Seven persons were sentenced to death by a court in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Thursday in connection with a 2020 murder case in which a 23-year-old man was abducted, strangled and his body chopped into six pieces. “The killers didn’t stop even after chopping his body into pieces. They laughed and slapped the severed head and put a price tag on it. The body parts were dumped in ponds and along the Delhi Road. It was one of the rarest of the rare cases. The murder had sent a shockwave in the society,” said special public prosecutor Bibhas Chattopadhyay after a court pronounced the verdict.

Police said the victim, Bishnu Mal, was abducted near his residence by Bishal Das, who was involved in multiple criminal cases, and his associates. Das was angry with him because he was in a relationship with a woman who had rejected his overtures, and masterminded the murder. Bishnu Mal’s body pieces were dumped in different locations. One of the nine accused arrested in the case turned into an approver and testified against his associates.

Bishal Das/ Vishal Das Source

Chattopadhyay said the court sentenced Das and six others to death while the eighth accused, who was roped in to dispose of the body, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment. Bishal Das, the prime accused who had tattooed the woman’s name on his arm, had fled after the gruesome murder but was later arrested in connection with a shootout in South 24 Parganas over 120km away. The prosecutor said they produced 34 witnesses against the accused. Bishal Das’s lawyer said they would appeal against the conviction.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/7-men-who-killed-23-yr-old-in-2020-chopped-body-into-pieces-get-death-penalty-101732809552641.html

Mysuru district court awards man death penalty for killing pregnant wife, mother, two sons

Under the influence of liquor, Manikanta Swamy murdered his wife Ganga (28) who was in her ninth month of pregnancy, mother Kempamma (65), his two-year-old son Samrat and four-year-old son Rohith with a rod.

27 November 2024

Mysuru: A district court here has awarded death penalty to a man after finding him guilty of killing his pregnant wife, mother and two sons.

Manikanta Swamy (35) was awarded death sentence on Tuesday in a case related to the heinous crime occurred on April 28, 2021 in his village Chamegowdana Hundi in Sargur Taluk of Mysuru district. Under the influence of liquor, Manikanta Swamy murdered his wife Ganga (28) who was in her ninth month of pregnancy, mother Kempamma (65), his two-year-old son Samrat and four-year-old son Rohith with a rod.

Swamy had doubts about his wife’s fidelity and his family members tried to persuade him to give up such doubts but his doubts persisted, police said. After committing the crime, Swamy was absconding. However, the police arrested him after a manhunt.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/mysuru-court-awards-man-death-penalty-for-killing-pregnant-wife-mother-two-sons-3294821

Mysore - Man gets death penalty for killing pregnant wife, mother, two sons

27 November, 2024 10:02 pm IST

Mysuru (Karnataka), Nov 27 (PTI) A district court here has awarded death penalty to a man after finding him guilty of killing his pregnant wife, mother and two sons.

Manikanta Swamy (35) was awarded death sentence on Tuesday in a case related to the heinous crime occurred on April 28, 2021 in his village Chamegowdana Hundi in Sargur Taluk of Mysuru district. Under the influence of liquor, Manikanta Swamy murdered his wife Ganga (28) who was in her ninth month of pregnancy, mother Kempamma (65), his two-year-old son Samrat and four-year-old son Rohith with a rod.

Swamy had doubts about his wife’s fidelity and his family members tried to persuade him to give up such doubts but his doubts persisted, police said. After committing the crime, Swamy was absconding. However, the police arrested him after a manhunt. 

PTI GMS GMS ADB KH

Source: https://theprint.in/india/man-gets-death-penalty-for-killing-pregnant-wife-mother-two-sons/2377916/

No Criminal History: Madhya Pradesh High Court Commutes Death Sentence Of Man Convicted For Rape & Murder Of Minor Girl

By Swasti Chaturvedi | 19 Nov 2024 5:30 AM

The Madhya Pradesh High Court commuted death penalty imposed on a man being convicted in case of rape and murder of a minor girl. The Jabalpur Bench was deciding a case originating from the Judgment of the Trial Court by which the said man was convicted under Sections 302 and 376(a)(b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced to death penalty. A Division Bench comprising Justice Vivek Agarwal and Justice Devnarayanan Mishra observed, “… we find that there is no criminal history of the appellant. Learned trial Court has not taken this aspect into consideration. It has only said that since such offences are on rise against minor daughters, which are indicative of perverted mind, then with a view to save the dreams of minor children, conclusive punishment is required to be given to such convicts.”

Justice Vivek Agarwal, Justice Devnarayan Mishra, Madhya Pradesh High Court

Public Prosecutor Aditya Narayan Gupta appeared for the Petitioner while Senior Advocate Uma Kant Sharma appeared for the Respondent. 

Facts of the Case

Sentence including death penalty being inflicted, the case was sent to the High Court in reference by the Trial Court as per the requirements under Section 336 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The convicted man also preferred an Appeal before the Court under Section 374(2) of CrPC, challenging the conviction and penalty on the ground that his case was based upon circumstantial evidence and there was no witness/evidence that the victim was last seen with him. As per the prosecution case, a missing person report was lodged in 2019 saying that the victim had left her home in the name of buying certain goods from a colony shop but did not return.

The victim was a minor. Resultantly, her father went to the shop and the shopkeeper informed that few minutes back, the victim had taken the item. She was then searched in the house of her friends but it was of no avail. Thereafter, the victim’s father went towards the nala and he saw his daughter lying dead on a chamber near nala. Later on, it was revealed that the victim was subjected to rape and murder. Her father claimed that the accused/Respondent raper her daughter and put her to death. The High Court after hearing the arguments from both sides, said, “… conviction of the appellant under Sections 302, 376(ab), 377, 201, 363, 366 IPC, cannot be faulted with. … coming to the issue of sentence, the Supreme Court in Mohinder Singh (supra) has held that the doctrine of “rarest of rare” confines two aspects and when both the aspects are satisfied only then the death penalty can be imposed. Firstly, the case must clearly fall within the ambit of “rarest of rare” and secondly, when the alternative option of life imprisonment is unquestionably foreclosed.”

The Court added that in life sentence, there is a possibility of achieving deterrence, rehabilitation, and retribution in different degrees but the same does not hold true for the death penalty. “It is unique in its absolute rejection of the potential of convict to rehabilitate and reform. It extinguishes life and thereby terminates the being, therefore, puts an end anything to do with the life. This is the big difference between two punishments. Thus, before imposing death penalty, it is imperative to consider the same. It is further held that for satisfying the second aspect of “rarest of rare” doctrine, the court will have to provide clear evidence as to why the convict is not fit for any kind of reformatory and rehabilitation scheme”, it noted.

Furthermore, the Court observed that though the accused tried to submit that since there was no motive to kill the minor and throttling was accidental, resulting in incidental death of the minor, but that is not the aspect to be taken into consideration, especially when it is apparent that deceased was a child of less than 12 years of age. “Her privacy was brutally violated and then she being known to the appellant, her life was terminated, then means of termination becomes secondary and will not be of any consequence. However, taking into consideration the judgment of the Supreme Court in Pappu (supra), when a mid-way approach is adopted, then we have no hesitation in maintaining his sentence under Sections 302, 376(ab), 377, 201, 363, 366 of the IPC, but societal interest can be balanced by holding that appellant shall remain in custody for the remaining period of his life rather than for 14, 20 or 30 years as offence under Section 5(m) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, is made out for which the punishment is not less than 20 years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of natural life of that person”, it concluded. The Court, therefore, upheld the conviction of the accused except the death sentence and commuted the same into that of imprisonment for life for the remainder of his natural life. Accordingly, the High Court answered the Reference, partly allowed the Criminal Appeal, and commuted the death penalty. 

Cause Title: In Reference v. Vishnu Bhamore (Neutral Citation: 2024:MPHC-JBP:56065) 

Appearance: Petitioner: Public Prosecutor Aditya Narayan Gupta 

Respondent: Senior Advocate Uma Kant Sharma and Advocate P.N. Tiwari.

Source: https://www.verdictum.in/court-updates/high-courts/madhya-pradesh-jabalpur-in-reference-v-vishnu-bhamore-2024-mphc-jbp-56065-rape-murder-death-penalty-commuted-1558317

Madhya Pradesh High Court commutes death sentence of accused in minor’s rape–murder

November 19, 2024:

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on November 15, 2024 commuted the death sentence of a man accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl into life imprisonment, observing that in a life sentence, there was a possibility of retribution but death penalty was “unique in its absolute rejection of the potential of convict to rehabilitate and reform.”

Vishal Bhamore was convicted on July 10, 2019 – over a month after the girl went missing while taking a trip to the local store to buy gutka for her father. A missing persons’ report was filed on June 9. Her body was found on June 10 in a local drain and a medical report eventually confirmed she was raped. According to investigators, Bhamore was initially part of the party that went out in search of the girl but later absconded.

While arguing against the death penalty, Bhamore’s lawyer, senior advocate Uma Kant Sharma, said the case didn’t fall under “rarest of rare” category, and therefore, imposing the extreme penalty was uncalled for. While commuting the sentence, a Bench of Justices Vivek Agrawal and Devnarayan Mishra said the Supreme Court has ruled that first, for imposing the death penalty, a case must clearly fall within the ambit of “rarest of rare”, and second, the alternative option of life imprisonment must be unquestionably foreclosed. “In life sentences, there is a possibility of achieving deterrence, rehabilitation and retribution in different degrees. But the same does not hold true for the death penalty. It is unique in its absolute rejection of the potential of convicts to rehabilitate and reform. It extinguishes life and thereby terminates the being, therefore, puts an end to anything to do with the life. This is the big difference between two punishments,” the HC said.

The court said that for satisfying the second aspect of rarest of rare doctrine, the court will have to provide clear evidence as to why the convict is not fit for any kind of reformatory and rehabilitation scheme. “We find that there is no criminal history of the appellant. The Learned Trial Court has not taken this aspect into consideration. It has only said that since such offences are on rise against minor daughters, which are indicative of a perverted mind, then with a view to save the dreams of minor children, conclusive punishment is required to be given to such convicts,” the court said.

Source: Indian Express - https://indianexpress.com/article/india/madhya-pradesh-hc-minor-rape-murder-accused-death-sentence-commutes-9672135/

Kerala court sentences TN man to death for rape, murder of five-year-old girl

The Additional District and Sessions Court (POCSO Court), Pathanamthitta, also imposed a total fine of Rs 4.25 lakh on the convict, Alex Pandian, who was the step-father of the victim.

PTI | Published on: 12 Nov 2024

KERALA: A 26-year-old man from Tamil Nadu was sentenced to death by a Kerala court on Monday for murdering a five-year-old girl after sexually assaulting her in the district three years ago. The Additional District and Sessions Court (POCSO Court), Pathanamthitta, also imposed a total fine of Rs 4.25 lakh on the convict, Alex Pandian, who was the step-father of the victim. "Death, for the offence punishable under section 302 IPC and accordingly, the accused shall be hanged by neck till he is dead. Fine of Rs 2,00,000 also is imposed on the accused, in default of fine, the same shall be recovered in accordance with law," Judge Jayakumar John said in the order.

In a statement, the police said that the man, under the influence of narcotics, committed atrocities even animals wouldn't perpetrate against the child. The incident occurred on 5 April 2021 at his rented home in nearby Kumbazha. It came to light when two women brought the child to Pathanamthitta General Hospital at 3 pm. Following examination, the doctor found the child deceased and immediately informed Pathanamthitta police. The child's body bore 67 wounds caused by slashing, stabbing and blunt force trauma. The child suffered inhumane physical and sexual abuse, the police said. Police stated the convict exploited the child, motivated by a grudge against her father.

Kottayam Medical College's post-mortem examination confirmed severe sexual assault. Pandian and girl's mother Kanaka, originally from Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu, arrived in Kumbazha in search of work. After staying in a rented house here, Kanaka brought her eldest child from her first marriage. Kanaka's first husband had abandoned them. Kanaka worked in nearby houses, and during this time, she would leave her daughter with Alex. On the day of the incident, after leaving her daughter with him to go to work, she returned to find the child in a state of unconsciousness, covered in injuries. When asked, Alex's response was that the child had been beaten. She then informed the neighbours and, with their help, took the child to the hospital. The motive of the accused was to eliminate the child from both their lives, the police added. He was also sentenced to jail after finding him guilty under various sections of IPC, POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act.

Source: https://www.dtnext.in/news/national/kerala-court-sentences-tn-man-to-death-for-rape-murder-of-five-year-old-girl-810870

Three sentenced to death for raping, killing 8-yr-old girl in Mangaluru

Express News Service

Updated on: 09 Nov 2024, 2:52 am

MANGALURU: Three migrant workers have been sentenced to death for gangraping and murdering an eight-year-old girl from Jharkhand here on November 21, 2021. They have been identified as Jayban Adivasi, 21, and Mukhesh Singh, 20, from Madhya Pradesh, and Manish Tirki, 33, from Ranchi in Jharkhand.

Fourth accused Muneem Singh from Madhya Pradesh is still absconding. All four were working in a tile factory at Tiruvailu village in Mangaluru rural police limits. The girl’s parents were also working in the factory. Special public prosecutor K Badrinath Nayari told reporters here on Friday that on November 21, 2021, the accused took the girl, who was playing with her brother, to a remote area after giving her sweets and raped her. They also had unnatural sex and strangled her to death. “This is the first case where a POCSO Court in Mangaluru has awarded death penalty to the accused,” Badrinath said.

Based on a complaint by the girl’s mother, the accused were booked under Sections 120(b), 366(a), 376 DB, 377, 302, and under Section 6 of the POCSO Act. As many as 30 witnesses were examined. Judge Manu KS of the Additional District and Sessions Court, FTSC - 2 POCSO Special Court, sentenced them on Thursday. The judge also ordered them to pay a fine of Rs 1,20,000 to be paid to the victim’s parents. The victim’s kin is also entitled to receive a compensation of Rs 3,80,000 from the district legal services authority.

Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2024/Nov/09/three-sentenced-to-death-for-rapingkilling-8-yr-old-girl-in-mangaluru?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Man Sentenced To Death For Raping, Killing Girl; His Parents Get 4-Year Jail Term For Involvement

A court in Rajasthan sentenced a man to death for raping and killing a nine-year-old girl.

By PTI | November 4, 2024

Jaipur: A court in Rajasthan’s Udaipur on Monday sentenced a man to death for raping and killing a nine-year-old girl. Judge Sanjay Kumar Bhatnagar considered the crime committed by Kamlesh Singh serious and pronounced the death sentence to him. The court also sentenced four years of imprisonment to his parents -- Ram Singh and Kishan Kanwar -- for hiding their son's crime, special public prosecutor Syed Hussain said. The incident had happened on March 29, 2023. Kamlesh murdered the girl after raping her. He then cut her body into pieces and later concealed the body parts at a dilapidated building, he said.

Source: https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!bharat/man-sentenced-to-death-for-raping-killing-girl-his-parents-get-4-year-jail-term-for-involvement-enn24110405723

Calcutta High Court quashes life sentence of man in jail for over nine years

2 November 2024

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has quashed the life sentence of a man, observing that he was not the perpetrator of the murder of his elder brother, after he spent more than nine years in custody.

A division bench of the court held that the prosecution "miserably failed" to form a chain of circumstances leading to the commission of the crime, much less prove it beyond all reasonable doubt. Observing that it is clear to the court that the appellant Ranadip Banerjee was not the perpetrator of the crime of murdering his elder brother, who had some neurological problems, the division bench presided by Justice Soumen Sen quashed his presided by Justice Soumen Sen quashed his conviction by a lower court and ordered his release. The bench said that it is a settled principle of criminal jurisprudence that in a case revolving around circumstantial evidence, the prosecution must prove the guilt of the accused "beyond reasonable doubt".

Ranadip was convicted of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by the additional sessions judge, 11th court at Alipore on May 25, 2017 in a murder case registered at Gariahat police station here on April 24, 2015 over the death of Sudip Banerjee. The appellant's lawyer Soham Banerjee said that he was arrested on April 24, 2015 and was in custody since then. The complainant was Joydeep Banerjee, the cousin brother of Ranadip, alleging murder of his elder cousin brother Sudip by the appellant.

Sudip lived in a house at Ballygunge Gardens, along with Ranadip, since 2009 after he separated from his wife and son. Ranadip is a bachelor and unemployed, the court noted. The division bench, also comprising Justice Uday Kumar, held in the judgement passed last month that the conviction was predicated on circumstantial evidence alone. It observed that while circumstantial evidence is sufficient to return a conviction, this is possible if it contains all the links that connect the accused to the incident. Holding that there are major discrepancies and inconsistencies going to the root of the matter, the bench said that in the instant case there is no eyewitness and that there are missing links to connect the appellant to the crime.

It said that the motive behind the murder against the appellant has also not been established and that the entire case of the prosecution is based on circumstantial evidence. "It is extremely surprising if not baffling that the investigating officer did not record the statement of the immediate neighbours and tenants of the house where the two brothers lived or any other relative of the appellant to find out the relationship between the two brothers or whether in the past there was any attempt by Ranadip to kill his brother or that there were past incidents of any such physical assault on the victim," the court said. Holding that the tenants would have been the best witnesses for the prosecution, the court said that it is unbelievable that when such an offence is committed, the tenants would not be aware of such assault or quarrel between the two brothers leading to murder. One white iron-made water pipe, old pillow, white bed cover, all bearing blood stains, were seized by the police, but no forensic examination was done to ascertain whether the blood found on these matched that of the victim or whether fingerprints of of the accused were present on it, the court noted.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/calcutta-high-court-quashes-life-sentence-of-man-in-jail-for-over-nine-years-3259767

Andhra Pradesh - Man lures 3-year-old niece with chocolate, rapes, then murders her

Nov 2, 2024

Apoorva Jayachandran

A 3-year-old girl was raped and murdered by her uncle in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati on Friday. The 22-year-old accused lured the girl on the pretext of buying chocolate and took her to a nearby field. He then raped her and buried her body after killing her.

The accused, who is the victim’s uncle, lives in the same colony as the child. The girl's parents searched for her and eventually filed a complaint with the police. During the investigation, the accused confessed to the crime, and he is currently in police custody. The victim's body was shifted to Puttur Government Hospital for post-mortem. An MLA of the area demanded severe punishment for the accused.

According to the Tirupati SP Subbarayudu, “The police have identified the child's uncle as the accused. He took her to buy chocolates, raped her and murdered her.” Tirupati Rural police have lodged a case and an investigation is ongoing.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/andhra-pradesh/story/tirupati-girl-raped-murdered-by-uncle-lures-buying-chocolate-andhra-pradesh-2626964-2024-11-02

Uttar Pradesh - Agra village watchman gets death sentence for rape, murder of 7-year-old girl

During the trial, more than a dozen witnesses testified against the accused. Sonika Chaudhary, Special Judge of POCSO court, upon reviewing the evidence, delivered the verdict and imposed a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh in addition to the death sentence.

Siraj Qureshi | Nov 1, 2024

In a significant ruling, the Agra POCSO court sentenced Rajveer Singh to death for the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Etmadpur. The incident occurred on December 30, 2023, when the girl was playing outside her home. Rajveer, who was the village watchman, lured her to a secluded area where he committed the crime. 

Rajveer Singh: Source: Jagran News

After the attack, the accused attempted to kill the girl by drowning her. When that failed, he brutally struck her on the head with a stone, leading to her death from severe injuries. He then disposed of her body in a nearby field and fled the scene. The case came to light when local residents reported the missing girl, and her body was later found. A thorough investigation led by Agra’s ACP Sukanya Sharma resulted in compelling evidence against Rajveer, including DNA matches from forensic analysis of hair found at the crime scene, witness statements, and CCTV footage showing him with the girl. During the trial, more than a dozen witnesses testified against Rajveer. Sonika Chaudhary, Special Judge of POCSO court, upon reviewing the evidence, delivered the verdict and imposed a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh in addition to the death sentence.

The victim's father was present in court during the sentencing and expressed gratitude towards the judiciary for delivering justice. The accused's family were not present in court during the hearing nor did they ever visit him when he was lodged in jail. Senior advocate M Qureshi noted the importance of the ruling while emphasising the need for stronger measures to ensure that those guilty of such heinous crimes face appropriate punishment. Vishal Sharma, Vice Chairman of Hindustani Biradari, echoed this sentiment, stating that while the death penalty can serve as a deterrent, systemic issues still allow some offenders to evade severe consequences.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/agra-village-watchman-given-death-sentence-for-rape-murder-of-7-year-old-girl-in-2023-2626210-2024-11-01