INDIA: UTTARAKHAND MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR SODOMISING AND MURDERING 5-YEAR OLD

March 9, 2021:

A Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) court of Uttarakhand on 6 March 2021 awarded death penalty to a man for sodomising and murdering a 5-year-old child in US Nagar. His parents were also sent to prison for concealing the crime, said an official.
Vikas Gupta, special assistant district government counsel of Pocso court said, “Pocso court awarded a man a death sentence on 6 March for sodomising and later murdering a minor in Rudrapur. The crime was committed in February 2019.”
Gupta said a child had suddenly disappeared from the roof of his house on 19 February 2019, in the Transit Camp Colony of Rudrapur in US Nagar.
A missing complaint was filed in the Transit camp police station on 21 February.
The complainant said he saw his neighbour Harswroop was on their roof at midnight and he was seen opening the lid of the water tank. He fled on being spotted, he said.
Police took Harswroop into custody and questioned him, which led to the recovery of the child’s body, stuffed in a bag from his room. The post-mortem report revealed the child was sodomised and strangled to death.
Gupta said police arrested Harswroop and his parents and sent them to jail after producing them in court. Eleven witnesses were produced in the court by the prosecution side.
Vijay Laxmi Vihan, special judge Pocso awarded him the death penalty. The court awarded 4-year imprisonment to his father Papoo and 3-year imprisonment to his mother Roopwati.