Maha: Man Receives Triple Death Sentence For Murdering, Raping 5-Year-Old Girl

In a first and rare incident, a man had been convicted of a triple-death sentence for kidnapping, raping, and murdering a 5-year-old child in Kamleshpur, 20 kilometres from Pune. The accused, Sanjay Puri, committed the offence in December 7, 2019. The act sparked outrage, with many demanding immediate court intervention. Finally, the Additional Sessions Court convicted Sanjay of a triple-death sentence. 

As per the reports, Justice SR Padwal found Puri guilty under IPC sections of abduction, murder, rape of a child and rape by a person of trust or authority. The judge also imposed relevant sections of the Protection of Children Against Sexual Abuse (POCSO) Act.

The Incident & Vedict

The Additional Sessions Court sentenced Sanjay to death for murder and fined him Rs 15,000. He received multiple death sentences under Section 376 (AB) (child rape) and Section 6 of the POCSO Act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault).

“The death penalty will be executed, subject to confirmation by the Bombay High Court. All substantive sentences shall run concurrently," the judge stated in the judgement.

Prashant Sathianathan, a public prosecutor, told TOI about the incident in question. On December 6, 2019, the girl  was alone at home while her mother was away for work. When her mother arrived from work, she did not find her daughter. The family decided not to go looking for the girl because they assumed she was at her grandmother's place. However, when the girl did not show up until the next morning, the family started to search for her.

Around 11 a.m. on December 7, 2019, the family filed  a missing person case with the Kamleshpur Police Station. The police immediately initiated a search and registered a charge of kidnapping. On December 8, 2019, a farmer discovered the girl's body in a field.

The medical examination revealed that the girl was sexually assaulted. Her head had injuries due to a boulder that was lying next to her body. 

Further investigation revealed that Sanjay Puri was around during the kidnapping of the girl and was immediately apprehended. Puri lured the girl into the field and gagged her mouth with a t-shirt and a stick. He then sexually attacked her and smashed her skull with the boulder.

The judge has asked the officer in charge of the Kamleshpur police station to assist the girl's family in seeking compensation from the State Legal Aid Committee.