‘Barbaric’: Court awards death to man for minor’s abduction, rape and murder | Lucknow News
Lucknow: The additional sessions judge (Pocso Act), Sitapur, on Thursday awarded death to a man for the abduction, rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in 2019, deeming the crime “barbaric and against humanity” warranting the rarest-of-rare punishment. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.3 lakh on the convict, Neelu. The court of special judge (Pocso Act) Bhagirath Verma pronounced the sentence under IPC sections 302 (murder), 364 (kidnapping and abducting), 376 AB (rape on a woman less than seven years of age), and sections 5/6 of Pocso Act.Special public prosecutor Govind Mishra relied on eyewitnesses, recovery evidence, and medical reports. Narrating the details of the case, Mishra told TOI that on Jan 13, 2019, the girl went missing from her village. Despite an intensive search operation, she could not be found. Later, police apprehended Neelu and co-accused Umesh Kumar Shukla. Neelu confessed to abducting, raping, and murdering the child with Umesh’s help. The duo later disposed of the body in Sarayan river. The victim’s shoes recovered from Neelu’s house were the key evidence.The court examined 12 witnesses, including the victim’s parents, last-seen witnesses, and doctors who conducted the post-mortem. Documentary evidence, including FIRs and recovery memos, substantiated the prosecution’s case. Shukla was acquitted of charges under Section 201/34 IPC due to insufficient evidence, and his bail bonds were cancelled.The case records have been forwarded to the Allahabad high court for confirmation of the death sentence.
