Kolkata: A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court in Kolkata has sentenced a 34-year-old man to death by hanging for the rape of a seven-month-old baby in the city’s Burtolla area.
The crime, termed by the Court “rarest of the rare,” occurred on 30 November 2024, when Rajib Ghosh, also known as Gobra, abducted the child from a pavement where she was sleeping beside her mother. The special POCSO court at the Bankshall Court convicted Ghosh on Monday, and the verdict was delivered on Tuesday, just 80 days after the heinous act.
According to the prosecution, Ghosh abducted the baby while her parents, who are pavement dwellers, were asleep. The infant was found nearby a few hours later and was reunited with her parents before being rushed to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The investigation involved the analysis of CCTV footage using modern technology, which revealed that Ghosh had carried out a recce of the spot thrice. He was identified by his unique gait pattern and was arrested on December 4 in Jhargram. The police filed the chargesheet within 26 days, and the trial commenced on 7 January. The prosecution examined 24 witnesses, and the trial completed in 41 days.
The infant, who suffered a complete perineal rupture, remains in critical condition at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Medical experts confirmed evidence of sexual assault and assessed that she would suffer permanent damage. According to sources, the child has not gained body weight for over two months.
Special public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee described the crime as “heinous” and “rarest of the rare”.
He stated: “Medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal of (MSVP) RG Kar had testified that he had never encountered such a heinous crime in his career. We prayed for the death sentence, and the court agreed with us.”
The judge found Ghosh guilty under Sections 65(2), 140(4), 137(2), and 118 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Section 6 of the POCSO Act, with the first and last carrying the maximum penalty of death by hanging.