POCSO Court Sentences Man to Death for Rape, Murder of 3-Year-Old; Cites Nirbhaya Case

• A Special POCSO Court in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, sentenced Bhanu alias Ramnarayan Dhimar to death for the rape and murder of a 3-year-old girl.
• The court categorized the crime as 'rarest of rare' and drew parallels to Delhi's Nirbhaya case, emphasizing the brutality.
• The incident occurred on March 1, 2023, in Chhirhati village, where the accused, a friend of the child's father, committed the crime while the mother was at a wedding.
• Medical reports, post-mortem, and DNA tests confirmed the rape and murder, despite initial attempts to suppress the truth through threats.
• The accused's wife and a friend received four years of rigorous imprisonment each for aiding and concealing the crime, sending a strong societal warning.

Why It Matters: Shahdol POCSO court delivers death penalty for child rape-murder, citing Nirbhaya, sending a strong message.