Rape-Murder accused sentenced to the death penalty (Uttarakhand)

ANI | Updated: Dec 12, 2018 17:54 IST 

Dehradun: A Dehradun court  has awarded death sentence to an accused involved in a 2016 rape and murder case. ADJ 3rd Gurbaksh Singh pronounced the verdict on Wednesday. Azhar, the convict, is a resident of Vikasnagar. It was in January 2016 that the convict had raped the girl after a New Year party. He also murdered the victim after the sexual assault. (ANI)

Source: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/uttarakhand-rape-murder-accused-sentenced-to-the-death-penalty201812121754150001/ (Accessed 25 December 2018)

Indian Supreme Court upholds death sentences in Delhi gang rape

By Huizhong Wu, CNN

Updated 1841 GMT (0241 HKT) May 5, 2017

New Delhi (CNN)Four men convicted of a gang rape that shocked India and attracted worldwide attention will be executed.

Four convicts in the Delhi Gang-Rape, 2013

India's Supreme Court on Friday upheld a lower court's decision to sentence the men to death. The judgment met with applause in the courtroom, according to CNN affiliate News18. "We are very happy that (the) Supreme Court has heard our voice, and that they understood Nirbhaya's pain in this matter, and that along with Nirbhaya the whole country has found justice," the victim's father, Badrinath Singh, told reporters outside the court, using a nickname for his daughter that means "fearless one." "We need to work so that the type of crime that happened to Nirbhaya will not happen again," Asha Singh, the victim's mother, said at a press briefing.

Parents of Nirbhaya, who was gangraped on December 16, 2012

"This fight is not ours alone. This is every man's fight. This is everyone's fight. This is every woman's fight." Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh were originally sentenced in September 2013, but they appealed the decision in the country's top court. Another perpetrator was underage at the time and received a lesser sentence, while a sixth attacker died in prison. The case led to protests across India and intense media coverage around the world, shining a light on India's pervasive problem of sexual violence against women. Executions are rare in India. While hundreds of people were sentenced to death last year, only three executions have been carried out since 2007, according to Amnesty International. 

Horrific crime

On the evening of December 16, 2012, Jyoti Singh Pandey, a physiotherapy student in Delhi, was leaving a movie theater after watching "The Life of Pi" with a male friend. It was late when they left the theater, so the pair got on a private bus to go to their suburban homes. That was when their nightmare started. According to police, the bus driver and at least five other men were drunk and looking for a "joy ride." Police said the men took turns raping the woman, using an iron rod to violate her as the bus drove around the city for almost an hour. Her male companion was beaten as he tried to fight them off. When they had finished, the men dumped their two victims by the side of the road.

Following the ordeal, the woman's injuries were so severe some internal organs had to be removed. She died two weeks later at a hospital in Singapore. "I want them burned alive," the dying victim told her mother and a visiting magistrate who was recording her statement at the hospital. 

Fight for justice

In the days following the rape, police arrested and jailed six men. Thousands of Indians marched in protest at the crime across the nation's capital and in cities around the country. The outrage pushed India's government to set up the Justice Verma Committee to come up with legal solutions to reduce sexual violence. It also passed laws setting stricter penalties for these types of crime and set up a fund in honor of the victim. But justice has not been a straight and easy path.

(Late) Justice J.S. Verma

India today

Though the case sparked widespread calls for reform in India, according to government records, there was an increase of 50% in the number of reported rapes in the past five years, to 34,000 in 2015. Experts said the increase was likely caused by a broadening of the definition of what constitutes rape, and more openness about reporting attacks. However, many warn the figures are still likely an underestimation. The Delhi gang rape case was an outlier in that the victim did not know the perpetrators. Of reported rapes, according to official statistics, 95% were committed by someone known to the victim. Activists and policy makers have expressed frustration at the lack of progress, saying there is no political will to move forward on the issue. "There hasn't been the push needed to implement these laws at the state level," Aruna Kashyap, a lawyer with Human Rights Watch, told CNN in January. "The overall response to women's safety is rooted in protectionism -- keep them at home, keep them safe -- rather than create spaces that are safe and equal."

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/05/asia/india-gang-rape-death-penalty/ (Accessed 23 December 2018)

Bihar: Court gives death sentence to rapist

Press Trust of India | Gaya (Bihar) 

May 28, 2015 Last Updated at 21:22 IST

A district court today awarded death sentence to a 28-year-old youth for rape-cum murder of a minor girl three years ago. 

Sanjay Kumar, the convicted, had lured a 7-year-old girl to a field at Daler village in the Medical police station area of Gaya district, raped her and then killed her for fear of being caught. 

The incident had occurred on March 10, 2012.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/court-gives-death-sentence-to-rapist-115052801700_1.html [last accessed 01.06.2015]

Man gets death penalty for rape-murder of 8-year-old

Nitesh Kumar Sharma, TNN | Oct 2, 2013, 05.05 AM IST

JAIPUR: The district court in Rajsamand on Tuesday awarded death penalty to a man for raping and murdering an eight-year-old girl nine months ago.

Sessions judge Chandra Shekhar said the 24-year old convict, Manoj Pratap Singh, had committed the ghastly act of "brutally killing a helpless and mentally challenged" child after raping her.

"Manoj is a bolt on the society and the humanity at large. He deserved to be punished with the capital punishment," the judge said in a packed courtroom.

The prosecution presented 25 witnesses and 51 supporting documents including a DNA report during the trial which began after police filed chargesheet on February 4 this year.

After the capital punishment was announced, people busted fire crackers in Kankroli town where the incident took place and nearby Rajsamand town.

Manoj Pratap Singh was a vehicle-lifter and a petty criminal before he abducted the girl from the vegetable cart of her parents on January 17 this year. The girl was mentally challenged.

"Manoj, who belongs to UP, used to live in a rented accommodation near the girl's house in Kankroli. The girl's father is a vegetable vendor. Manoj used to buy vegetables from him," said public prosecutor Pradeep Kumar.

On January 17, the girl was with her parents and grandfather at the vegetable cart when Manoj walked to her and offered her chocolate. He tried to take away the girl, but the parents protested.

"He returned on a bike after 10 minutes and abducted the girl around 6.30 pm. The parents and some others tried to chase Manoj, but he disappeared," the lawyer said.

Manoj bought some beer bottles from a liquor shop on the way and took her to an isolated place in Dhondara area and raped her. He then repeatedly hit her head with a stone lying on the road and dumped her body into a pit in Kamal Talai area.

Meanwhile, the parents who knew Manoj informed the police. Several teams launched a search. He was found around 1 am on January 18.

"He had come to the bus stand to get a mobile recharge coupon and leave the town later. After interrogation, he led the police to place where he had dumped the girl's body," said the lawyer.

As no lawyer agreed to represent him, the court had to appoint a lawyer. "There were several evidences against Manoj. The semen swabs lifted from the girl's clothes and private parts matched with Manoj's DNA. Besides, his clothes having stains of girl's blood were also recovered. There were several eye-witnesses who saw him abducting the girl," said the lawyer.

While Manoj broke into tears after coming out of the courtroom on Tuesday, a crowd of nearly 150 people, mostly locals, clapped and congratulated each-other.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Man-gets-death-penalty-for-rape-murder-of-8-year-old/articleshow/23380404.cms?intenttarget=no [accessed on 02.10.2013]

Death for Kerala child rapist-killer

Thursday, 01 August 2013 | PNS | Malappuram

A court in Kerala’s Malappuram district on Wednesday sentenced a middle-aged man for raping and murdering a nine-year-old girl. 
Pronouncing the death sentence on rapist-killer Abdul Nasser of Palambarambath, Nellikkuthu in the district, the Malappuram District and Sessions Court in Manjeri observed that the accused did not deserve even a speck of mercy. It had pronounced Nasser guilty of the crime the other day.The court said that the sentence should serve as a warning to many in the context of the increasing incidents of atrocities against children. Nasser had raped and killed nine-year-old Salva, daughter of Suhra of Elluparambu on April 4, 2012.
According to the prosecution, Nasser had raped Salva when she had come to his house at 6.30 am on the day of the crime to call his daughter Majida, her classmate, to go to the local Madrassa.Nasser, who was alone in the house as his wife and daughter had gone to a nearby house where a death had occurred, called her inside the house and raped her.
After raping the child, Nasser strangulated her using a shawl when she said she would inform her parents of the incident. He then hid the child’s body first in the kitchen and then in the bath room, the prosecution said. Nasser said that he had nothing to say when the court asked him for his response to the sentence. Salva’s mother Suhra said she had expected the court’s decision.
The prosecution had charged Sections 376 (rape), 301 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code against Nasser. The court found Nasser guilty of the first two charges but observed that the prosecution had not been able to prove the charge of destruction of evidence.
The prosecution had produced in the court evidences like bloodstains of Salva found from Nasser’s house, the shawl with which he had strangulated the girl, etc. As many as 46 witnesses were examined in the case.

Source : http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/death-for-kerala-child-rapist-killer.html

Justice delivered in 8 days; court awards death sentence to man for rape, murder

Press Trust of India | Updated Jul 23, 2013 at 03:48pm IST

 In a speedy trial, a 26-year-old man was sentenced to death by a local court for raping and killing a six-year-old girl in Datia in April this year.
District and Sessions Judge Rajiv Sharma, while awarding the death penalty on Monday, observed that people like Kamlesh Kushwaha (the accused) are "cancerous" to the society and hence its necessary to eliminate them in the same manner just as doctors remove cancer tumours surgically for saving people's lives.
The hearing in the case began on July 15 and it was completed in only eight days, according to public prosecutor Rajendra Tiwari. On April 18, Kushwaha, a resident of Maheba village raped and murdered the girl belonging to Dongarpur village. 
Kamlesh, who was living in Dongarpur with a relative took the girl to a farm on some pretext and committed the crime. Postmortem reports had confirmed rape and also 21 injuries were found on the girl's body following which the accused was arrested.

Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/news/justice-delivered-in-8-days-court-awards-death-sentence-to-man-for-rape-murder/408822-3-236.html

SHIVANI CASE: HC UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE TO RAJESH

Wednesday, 17 July 2013 PNS Indore Bhopal 

The MP High Court on Tuesday upheld the order of a local court which awarded death sentence to Rajesh Singh Sengar, uncle of seven-year-old Baby Shivani who was sexually abused and killed her later by the accused last year.

Shivani was sexually abused and murdered in September last year. Her father Prem Singh Sengar had given her to his cousin Rajesh in the hope that she would have a better future.A division bench comprising Justice Shantanu Kemkar and Justice MC Garg of the MP High Court passed the judgement. A local fast track court on March 12 this year had awarded capital punishment to Rajesh Singh Sengar, 41, for rape, unnatural sex and murder of seven-year-old niece Shivani, besides imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 on him. The court also awarded life imprisonment to his wife Baby Bai along with a fine of Rs 4,000.

The fast track court of seventh additional sessions judge Savita Dubey delivered the judgement in the case after just eight hearings during which a total of 20 witnesses were produced, including 12 neighbours of the victim. The accused Sengar had challenged the verdict of lower fast track court in the High Court.

Taking cognizance of his petition, the High Court upheld the verdict of the fast track court stating that the accused did not deserve a lesser punishment than what had been awarded to him by the fast track court. Meanwhile, the accused was contemplating to move the higher court. The accused Rajesh Singh Sengar, who is uncle of Shivani, subjected the girl to inhuman and unnatural sexual torture for a long time. The incident had elicited sharp protest from the city residents who took to streets in protest against the brutal incident. Following a mass protest of the city people, the police had referred Shivani murder case to a fast track court for early justice to the family of the deceased.              

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhopal/shivani-case-hc-upholds-death-sentence-to-rajesh.html

MP high court upholds death sentence of rapist, killer

TNN Jun 27, 2013, 02.42PM IST

JABALPUR: MP high court has upheld the death sentence of Nandkishore Valmiki who is charged with a rape of eight-year-old girl from Bhopal. On February 3 the girl who had gone to a fair with his brother was lured by the accused raped and brutally murdered.
The father of the child had reported her missing at the TT Nagar police station. Her decomposed body was recovered from the bush after the police was tipped off that a dog was seen running around with a human limb. Last seen with the girl, Valmiki later confessed his crime during the interrogation and was charge sheeted.
The district and sessions court in Bhopal had sentenced Valmiki to death on March 14, 2013 and the mater had come before the high court in appeal. Dismissing the appeal the division bench of Justice Ajit Singh and Justice Alok Aradhe held that such heinous crimes could be curbed only by taking strongest of measures against the guilty.
Source : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-27/bhopal/40232729_1_death-sentence-upholds-mp-high-court

Two sentenced to death for rape and murder

Vaibhav Ganjapure, TNN Jun 29, 2013, 01.05AM IST

NAGPUR: Seven years after a 19-year-old girl from Kalmeshwar was raped and murdered in a gruesome manner, the court on Friday sentenced the perpetrators — two hardened criminals — to the gallows. Rakesh Kamble (25), a resident of Gaurakshan slums in Wardha, and Amarsing Thakur (27), from Bajrang Nagar in city, were convicted for kidnapping, murder, and rape of Kanchan Meshram, a resident of Lonara slums in Kalmeshwar on December 18, 2005.
These two join seven others in the 'death penalty' club of Nagpur court over the last five years.
Looking at the past criminal record of the accused duo, including fleeing from police custody, the third district and sessions judge Vibha Ingle had no hesitation in putting the dastardly act under "rarest of rare" category. "They be hanged by neck till dead," the court mentioned while reading out an operative order in the packed courtroom.

Apart from the capital punishment, the duo was awarded lifer for gang rape, 20 years rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping for murder and another 10 years for criminal intimidation and trespassing into house at night. They were also fined Rs 22,000 on various counts. All the jail terms will run concurrently, the court ordered.
However, the duo was acquitted of charges under the Arms Act and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Citing testimony of 19 witnesses, including the girl's parents, brother and other villagers, assistant public prosecutor (APP) Kalpana Pande strongly advocated the maximum punishment, contending that the accused were serial offenders and showed no signs of reformation.
Security was tight inside and outside the courtroom, considering the fact that the accused duo had a history of fleeing from custody and had created trouble every time they were brought for a hearing. Even Sadar PI Rajratan Bansod was personally present. There was no remorse on the faces of the convicts when the verdict was announced and they even threatened media persons with dire consequences.
The night of horror
Pande said the history-sheeter duo were friends with a cousin of the deceased and used to tease her. A few days before the incident, Kanchan had even rapped Rakesh for indecent behaviour and thrown a slipper at him. An enraged Rakesh then decided to teach her a lesson. He barged into the girl's small hut with Amarsing at about 3am, when she was sleeping with her parents and brother. Both were armed with knives and a country-made revolver.
Sensing trouble, Kanchan's mother signalled her to escape. She ran away from home and took shelter under the bed in her uncle's house. However, the goons entered by breaking open the front door and dragged her out. Her parents and other villagers tried their best to stop them, but the goons brandished their weapons to keep them at bay while taking her away.
Next morning, Kanchan's naked body was found at a nearby farm with 14 injuries, including stab marks and scratches on her private parts. Her blood stained clothes were lying all over the farm and blood was found splattered at many places, providing ample testimony of the spine chilling torment she underwent. The post mortem report confirmed her rape and murder.
The accused had fled to an unknown place after committing the crime. After a complaint was lodged at Kalmeshwar police, Rakesh was arrested at Khamgaon in Buldhana on June 6, 2006, six months after the incident. However, it took over five years for the police to nab the other accused Amarsing on May 29, 2005. In fact, he was arrested by Gwalior police for some other offence and was brought to the city for this case.

Source : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-29/nagpur/40270825_1_duo-nagpur-court-slums

Thane: Court awards death penalty to man who raped, murdered 5-year-old girl

Press Trust of India | Updated Jun 07, 2013 at 05:36pm IST

Thane: In a speedy trial, a 53-year-old man was on Friday sentenced to death by a court here for raping and murdering a five-year-old girl in January 2013. Thane Additional Sessions Judge PH Mali while pronouncing the verdict observed that the case fell under the "rarest of rare" category as the girl had been done to death in the most cruel manner and a young life was snuffed out.
Prosecutor Sangeeta Phad had sought death penalty for accused Dattu Ambo Rokade, from Koprigaon in Vashi, stating that such an inhuman act deserved nothing less than capital punishment. Also, circumstantial evidence and statement of the wife and son of Rokade, that he was capable of committing such a heinous act, nailed him.
The crime took place on January 22 this year when the minor girl was playing in the ground near her house while her elder brother and sister were watching TV. Her parents had gone to work, investigating officer in the case API Pushpa Chavan-Dighe told the court.
Rokade lured the girl to his house and then sexually assaulted her, Dighe said. When the parents of the victim were unable to trace her, they lodged a police complaint. The following day, during the early hours, they found their dead daughter dumped at their house entrance in a disrobed state.
The accused, after raping the girl, had strangulated her to death and packed her in a gunny bag. He hid the body in a garbage bin before leaving her in front of her house, the court was told.
The accused was charged under sections 302, 376, 377, 201 and 367 of IPC and also under section 4 and 5 of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. A total of 27 witnesses were examined in the case. During the trial, the court was told by locals that they had seen a old man carry a gunny bag into the building compound that day.
The accused was staying near the house of the victim and took care of his widowed daughter's kids. He was reportedly driven out of Murbad in Thane, where he attempted rape on a school teacher.
This is the second capital punishment awarded by a Thane court in less than a month. On May 16, an industrial worker Shekar Gupta, (22) who was found guilty of sexually assaulting and killing an eight-year-old, was given death by Additional Sessions Judge AA Sayeed.

Source :  http://ibnlive.in.com/news/thane-court-awards-death-penalty-to-man-who-raped-murdered-5yearold-girl/397022-3-237.html

Teen's rapist gets death penalty

TNN May 18, 2013 BHOPAL: A trial court here on Friday sentenced to death a 45-year-old motor mechanic, Mustafa, who was found guilty of raping and throttling to death a minor on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, 2012.

The prosecution case was that Mustafa, with whom the 16-year-old girl had close family acquaintance, took her in a car, raped and murdered her. He later dumped her body at Budhni ghat about 45km from Bhopal.
A search was launched by police after the girl's family had filed a missing complaint.
On September 29, Budhni police found the body and buried it as an 'unidentified' one. Later, when Bhopal got leads during interrogation of Mustafa, they exhumed the body and brought it to Bhopal.
Mustafa and his alleged accomplice Aziz were charged with rape, murder and destroying evidence.
After hearing the case, court of additional session judge Saeeda Bano Rahman held Mustafa guilty on all the charges and awarded death penalty for him. However, Aziz was acquitted for lack of evidence.
When the judge asked whether he had any reason to cite why he should not be given capital punishment, Mustafa said that he was the sole breadwinner of his family. His counsel argued that his offence did not fall under the 'rarest of rare' category of crimes, for a death sentence.
However, the public prosecutor argued for capital punishment on the ground that the crime was of a 'cruel' nature.
After hearing the argument, the judge stated she was unable to find any 'justifying circumstances' not to award death penalty for the accused. She stated that an exemplary punishment is required to put a check on such cases and also to ensure that fear of law remains among criminals in society.
It may be recalled that tension had gripped the Mansarovar complex area in Bhopal after people set on fire shops and damaged vehicles after the incident on September 29. The accused worked in a motor-repairing shop at the locality.

Source : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-18/bhopal/39353320_1_mustafa-death-penalty-punishment

Man gets death penalty for raping, killing minor girl

A 22-year-old man was today sentenced to death by a local court for raping and murdering an eight-year-old girl. May 16, 2013 Thane

Thane Additional Sessions Judge AA Sayeed held Shekhar Gupta guilty under sections 376 (2)(1) of IPC and awarded life imprisonment, and section 302 (murder) of the IPC for which he has been sentenced to death.
According to the prosecution, Gupta had abducted the school girl, raped her and murdered her to destroy evidence in December 2009.
The accused, who was married and has two children, worked as a contract labour with a company in Thane city.
The victim's father, a resident of Lokmanya Nagar, told the court that on December 24, 2009, when he returned home in the evening from work, he was told that his daughter, a Class II student at Saint Ulai School, had not returned till then.
When he went out in search of her, Gupta met him on the way and told him that he had met the girl and gave her chocolate and biscuits.
The parents lodged a missing complaint with police and the next day her body was found under a hillock.
Additional Public Prosecutor Hemlata Deshmukh said this was a rarest of the rare case which deserved nothing less than death sentence.
The court, relying on the witnesses from the vicinity and circumstantial evidence, held that the accused was guilty of the charges levelled against him and sentenced him to death.

Source : http://www.mid-day.com/news/2013/may/160513-man-gets-death-penalty-for-raping-killing-minor-girl-crime.htm

Three get death sentences for rape and murder of four-year-old

ucanews.com reporter, Bhopal India April 29, 2013

A court in central Madhya Pradesh state sentenced three men to death for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl on Friday in a case which has attracted less international attention than the more recent rape of a five-year-old in New Delhi but has prompted outrage in India.
In chaotic scenes, the crowd outside the courthouse in Indore, the state capital, tried to attack the three defendants – named as Babu, Jitrenda and Sunny – but were held back by police.
Judge Indra Singh called the crime the “rarest of the rare” after handing down the three death sentences despite an appeal by the defense who said the men were young and deserved leniency. All three are in their early twenties.
Autorickshaw driver Babu and his two unemployed friends were found guilty of abducting the four-year-old victim after she accompanied her father to a hospital in Indore for treatment for his tuberculosis in June last year.
After watching a marriage procession late in the evening, the girl then went missing. Her body was later found with a smashed skull in a drain close to a police station.
Police tracked down the three men responsible after they left a cheque and a note near the body in an apparent attempt to pay compensation. They were captured about 50 miles south of Indore in the town of Omkareshwar preparing to flee, police said.
The case is among the most gruesome in a string of high-profile recent rape cases in India that have sparked outrage inside the country and lurid headlines in international media.
Last month, a Swiss woman was raped in Madhya Pradesh during a cycle tour and on Saturday a six-year-old girl was raped in New Delhi in a public toilet, just a few days after a five-year-old was abducted and raped during a two-day ordeal.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come under rising criticism from rival political parties with every new case, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, which has recorded the highest number of rape cases in the country in recent years. Government statistics show there are nine rapes a day and 25 gang rapes every month there.
Madhya Pradesh opposition Congress Party leader Ajay Singh said that the BJP has lost the "moral right to continue" in office as an “anarchy-like situation" prevails in the state with no safety for women and children.
“What we see is nothing but the absolute collapse of law and order,” said Badal Saroj, secretary of the Communist Party’s state unit.
In response to criticism, the government has attempted to fast-track the prosecution of rape cases, while in Madhya Pradesh State Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has ordered the establishment of a new 'neighborhood watch' scheme of community law enforcement modeled on the UK.
Source : http://www.ucanews.com/news/three-get-death-sentences-for-rape-and-murder-of-four-year-old/68133