Describing the act as “barbaric and inhuman,” a Mumbai court on Tuesday sentenced a transgender individual to death for the rape and murder of a three-month-old girl. Aditee Kadam, special judge for cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), remarked that such crimes severely damage the fabric of society beyond repair.
Meanwhile, a co-accused was acquitted as the prosecution failed to establish the case against him beyond a reasonable doubt. According to the prosecution, the 24-year-old accused abducted the girl from a nearby house, sexually assaulted her, and murdered her in July 2021. The motive behind the heinous act, as per the prosecution, was the family’s inability to provide customary gifts to the accused following the child’s birth due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The court determined that the accused’s intention was to instill fear in the neighborhood to ensure compliance with his demands for gifts. The injuries found on the victim’s body, described as “totally defenseless,” depicted extreme brutality and depravity.
Emphasizing the paramount importance of a girl child’s safety, the judge noted the accused’s meticulous planning and execution of the crime, including the burial of the body in a marshy area to conceal evidence. The court deemed the offense as “the rarest of rare cases” due to its barbarity and inhumanity, suggesting that it would instill fear in every parent of a girl child, particularly in impoverished areas.
