UP court sentences man to death for rape, murder of 10-year-old girl

Noida: A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district has sentenced a 35-year-old man to death for raping and killing a 10-year-old girl, officials said on Monday.

The man, also convicted under the stringent POCSO Act, has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 50,000 as well by the district and sessions court.

”Accused Chandrapal should be hanged till death,” read the order passed by special judge Pratibha Saxena on December 18.

Hathras Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal said the court’s order in the heinous crime case came in less than three and a half months’ time from the incident.

”The police had unearthed the case within 72 hours of the crime. The case was pursued professionally by the local police and the prosecution with scientific evidence that led us to charge-sheeting the matter in a short span,” Jaiswal said.

”As a result, a tight case against the accused was presented before the court, which announced the order in just three and a half months,” the officer said.

The accused was known to the girl, who lived in the same neighbourhood as his married sister. The incident had taken place in August, when the accused visited his sister for Rakshabandhan.