Man jailed for 30 yrs for sodomising, murdering grandson

A man has been sentenced to 30 years in jail by a Delhi court for strangulating his minor grandson after sodomising him.

The court awarded rigorous life imprisonment to convict Raju for murdering the 10-year-old child, while making it clear that he would not be considered for any remission till he serves 20 years of jail term.

It also sentenced the convict to 10 years in jail for committing the offence of sodomy, stipulating that both the sentences would be served one after the other.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh on Raju and said, if recovered, Rs one lakh should be given to the victim's family as compensation.

The court, while sentencing the convict, said the case cannot be put on the same pedestal as other ordinary murder case and it falls in the category of rarest of rare case with alternative options of punishment.

"The offence has been committed by a person who is a maternal grandfather in relation to the child. This is nothing short of betrayal of trust, the child must have reposed in the convict...

"This category of perpetrators of crime, if not removed from the circulation in society, would destroy it," Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said.

According to prosecution, the incident took place in May last year when the victim's father had gone to market to buy household necessities leaving the child in the custody of the accused who was residing in their house at Azadpur in North West Delhi for some days as guest.

Raju had taken the boy to a park where he sodomised him and after strangulating the child, threw his body in bushes.

When the child's father Acchey Lal returned, he did not find the boy at home and the minor's body was found in bushes at a nearby park the next day.

Raju was arrested two days after the crime.

The court observed that sexual offender cannot be treated at par with other criminals and as a part of major prisons reforms like countries abroad, India should also explore the possibility of giving separate prisons to these kind of convicts with specific treatment plan.

"I am convinced that there is a desirability of keeping him (Raju) as well as others of his kind separately with other offenders (in a separate barrack which can be created for such offenders) where a specific plan is designed for them for their treatment.

"Copy of this order is directed to be placed before the Director General (Prisons), Delhi for exploring the above possibilities and appropriate action as per rule," the judge said.

The judge said the act of the convict was "unthinkable" and that those who mess with children must know that the justice system in India has "zero tolerance" for it and a single moment of madness can lead them to a life behind the bars.

"While the child's father had gone to the market to purchase ration so that Raju who was their guest could be served dinner, the convict on his part was satisfying his hunger for sex.... upon the child," the court said, adding that the convict's ghastly and inhuman act cannot be condoned.