INDIA: CONVICT GETS DEATH PENALTY IN GUJARAT FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF TODDLER

December 8, 2021:

Surat special court for Protection of Children for Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act awarded death penalty on 7 December 2021 to the convict Guddu Yadav (35) for rape and murder of a two-year-old minor girl in Pandesara area, in the indian State of Gujarat.
On 6 December, the local court announced the judgment in the record time of 21 days since the chargesheet was filed. The court ordered compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the victim's family.
The court of special judge for POCSO Act, P S Kala, convicted Yadav and awarded capital punishment. Earlier, the court had completed the hearing within five days and examined 42 witnesses. In this case, police had filed a 264-page chargesheet on November 15 within seven days of the convict's arrest.
The minor was kidnapped, raped and murdered on 4 November and her body was found on 7 November. On the next day, Yadav was arrested by police after his identity was developed based on CCTV footage.
"In a record time, the judgment has been announced. Top courts, government and police are extremely concerned over such crimes and deal strictly with each case. It is our priority to prevent such crime but if it takes place our efforts will be to ensure that justice is served at the earliest," said city police commissioner Ajay Tomar.
Police examined footage of over 500 CCTV cameras in the area to get clues and a team of over 200 cops joined the investigation when the minor's kidnapping was reported initially.