Man gets death penalty for raping, murdering 5-year-old girl

 The Bombay High Court today confirmed death penalty awarded to a 54-year-old man for raping and murdering a five-year-old girl, observing that he had committed a "serious and heinous crime" which fell in the category of "rarest of rare".

A division bench of Justices V K Tahilramani and V L Achliya upheld the conviction and death sentence awarded to Dattatray Rokade for raping and murdering the minor girl, who was his neighbour's daughter. The incident took place in neighbouring Thane district on January 22 last year.

"The appellant (Rokade) has committed a very serious and heinous crime. The manner in which he has behaved even after committing the crime shows that he has no remorse and hence there is no chance of reformation. He is of perverse mind. The case falls under the category of rarest of rare," the bench noted.

The court further observed that the convict had targeted a child who was not in a position to defend herself.

According to the prosecution, on the day of the incident, the victim girl was playing outside her residence in Khopri village in Thane district when Rokade lured her into his flat. He then gagged her and repeatedly raped her and strangulated her, put her naked body in a plastic bag and dumped it outside the building.

The victim's family, which lodged a missing person's complaint on January 22, found the bag the next day and lodged an FIR.

Rokade was arrested two days later after his son told the police that his father was behaving suspiciously since the girl had gone missing.

Apart from rape and murder sections of the Indian Penal Code, Rokade was also booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act which was enacted in 2012.

A Thane sessions court completed the trial against Rokade within 45 days in which a total of 27 witnesses, including Rokade's son, wife and daughter, were examined. He was convicted on all charges and awarded death penalty.

The matter then came to the high court for confirmation of the death sentence.