Surat Minor Rape And Murder Case: Gujarat HC Gives Death Penalty

The Gujarat High Court on Friday confirmed the death penalty of a 22-year-old accused for rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in Surat. The crime was placed in the "rarest of the rarest category.’’

The accused, Anil Yadav, is from the state of Bihar. He was known to the victim’s family and lived on the ground floor of the same building, where the family lived.

The victim had gone missing from her home in Godadara, a locality in Surat in October last year. Later, the victim’s body was found wrapped in a plastic bag in a locked building, located in the same vicinity.

Key Takeaways

•  Anil Yadav has been handed a death sentence by Gujarat High Court. He was found guilty of rape and murder of a three-year-old girl.
• Yadav was known to the victim’s family.
• The crime came on heels of soon the rape of a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha which led to violent protests across Gujarat against migrant labourers from UP and Bihar.
• Yadav confessed to the crime in front of the Police Superintendent also admitted that he had consumed liquor prior to committing it.

The incident that came to occured within a span of few weeks after the rape of a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha, triggered attacks and sparked violent protests against migrants from UP and Bihar in Gujarat, reports India Today.

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After committing the crime, Anil Yadav escaped to his native village in Bihar. However, police arrested him five days later on October 19, 2018, from Maniya village in Bihar’s Buxar district. Buxar’s Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Satish Kumar had revealed, “Yadav was arrested under Dhansoi Police Station limits where a raid was conducted by the Gujarat police team, assisted by the local police. Although the accused was a resident of Itarhi Police Station area, he had been staying away from home.”

A division bench of Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice A C Rao rejected an appeal filed by Anil Yadav against the death sentence awarded to him by a special POCSO court.

The accused had confessed to the crime before the police, Superintendent of Police Upendra Nath Verma had said. Yadav also admitted that he had consumed liquor before committing it.

Court's Judgement Against The Convict

The trial court condemned the crimes committed by Yadav in July. After trial court took five months, the High Court on hearing appeals made by Yadav asked the government for another four months.

A Special Judge for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), P S Kala awarded the accused with the death penalty. The court took into account the statements of 38 witnesses along with medical and circumstantial evidence.

A division bench of Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice A C Rao rejected an appeal filed by Anil Yadav against the death sentence awarded to him by a special POCSO court in Surat in July this year. Yadav was booked under the crime of committing rape, murder, unnatural sex and attempt to destroy the evidence.

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Gaurika Taneja is an intern with SheThePeople. TV