Man awarded life sentences for rape and murder of niece

A person has been awarded triple life-term and 26 years rigorous imprisonment on charges of rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl at Kollam in South Kerala.

Rajesh, 26, a native of Anchal in the rural parts of Kollam district, was sentenced by an additional sessions court in Kollam on Wednesday. The victim was culprit's sister-in-law's daughter.

Though the prosecution urged for capital punishment, the court awarded the triple life-term which would ensure that the culprit would not be able to come out of jail during his remaining life.

The gruesome incident took place on August 27, 2017. Rajesh took the girl from her grandmother on the pretext of dropping her at tuition centre. But he took her to a deserted area adjacent to the forest areas of the locality and sexually abused her. He even sexually abused the girl even after she died.

Some local people who spotted the bag and footwear of the victim carried out a search and spotted the body. Of subsequent search the culprit was also nabbed.

The court also imposed a penalty of Rs. 3.2 lakh on the accused which would be given to the victim's family.

Reacting to the judgment, the victim's mother told the media that she was happy at the verdict though she wished he got the maximum punishment for the brutal killing of her daughter.