Teen sentenced to death in Joynagar murder-rape case; CM hails swift justice

Kolkata: In a significant judgment, the Baruipur POCSO Court on Friday sentenced a 19-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl, delivering the verdict within just two months of the crime. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lauded the state police for this “landmark achievement”.

The ruling holds significant importance as it coincides with growing demands for the CBI to expedite the probe into the death and alleged murder of the RG Kar PGT doctor which led to a massive protest across the nation and the Central probe agency so far has been able to name Sanjoy Roy — arrested by Kolkata Police within 24 hours of the crime — as the only person involved in the heinous crime, a claim the police had made in a day.

Meanwhile, on Friday, in the Joynagar case, the Additional District Judge, Subrata Chattopadhyay, convicted the accused teen under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — 65 (rape), 66 (punishment for causing death or resulting in a persistent vegetative state of the victim), and 103 (murder) — as well as provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Citing the case as among the “rarest of rare,” the court awarded the death penalty to the convict and ordered a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s family. The police filed the charge sheet on October 30, and the trial, which began on November 5, concluded within a swift 21 days. The body of the girl was recovered from a pond in Joynagar’s Kultali area on October 5. The girl, a class 4 student, went missing when she was returning home from a tuition class. State police authorities claimed that this was the first time in the history of Bengal Police that a conviction was delivered just 61 days after the crime which has set a precedent for swift justice in the state.

Congratulating the state police on this landmark achievement, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a post on X, stated: “The accused in the case involving the brutal rape and murder of a minor girl in Joynagar on 4.10.24 has been sentenced to death today by the POCSO court at Baruipur just within 62 days of the ghastly incident. Conviction and capital punishment in such a case in just over two months is unprecedented in the history of the state. I congratulate the state police and all those involved in the prosecution process for this outstanding achievement. The Govt has zero tolerance towards offences against women and will continue to ensure that justice is neither delayed nor denied.

Furthermore, hailing the Bengal police on this unprecedented verdict, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on X: “In cases of sexual offences, justice should be SWIFT and SEVERE! Today, the POCSO Court at Baruipur sentenced the accused in the horrific rape and murder of a minor girl in Joynagar to death, delivering the verdict within an unprecedented 62 days. I extend my gratitude to the @WBPolice , particularly the SIT led by SP Palash Dhali for their extraordinary work in filing the chargesheet in a record 25 days. The next big step is the nationwide implementation of the Aparajita Anti-Rape Bill because strong legislation is the only way to create a deterrent against such atrocities.”

Congratulating the state police on the achievement, TMC national general secretary and MP, Abhishek Banerjee again called for the implementation of the Aparajita Bill nationwide. Taking to X, the Diamond Harbour MP wrote: “In cases of sexual offences, justice should be SWIFT and SEVERE!

Today, the POCSO Court at Baruipur sentenced the accused in the horrific rape and murder of a minor girl in Joynagar to death, delivering the verdict within an unprecedented 62 days. I extend my gratitude to the @WBPolice , particularly the SIT led by SP Palash Dhali for their extraordinary work in filing the chargesheet in a record 25 days. The next big step is the nationwide implementation of the Aparajita Anti-Rape Bill because strong legislation is the only way to create a deterrent against such atrocities.” Banerjee since last few months, has been advocating for a stringent law and capital punishment across the country for the rapists rather than keeping them in jail and wasting money over the years.

According to the Additional Director General (ADG) South Bengal, Supratim Sarkar, on October 4, a 10-year-old girl was raped and murdered in a paddy field in Joynagar. On the day of the incident, initially a missing diary was lodged by the parents of the girl claiming that she did not return from her tuition. After a few hours, the girl’s body was recovered from a paddy field.

During the initial enquiry, police arrested a 19-year-old youth identified as Mustakin Sardar who later confessed that he had raped and strangled the girl to death and later dumped the body in a paddy field. It may be mentioned that the police arrested the accused within 2.5 hours with the help of eyewitnesses and CCTV footage. Sardar also revealed the location of the body which was recovered on the same night and subsequently, a 5-member Special Investigation Team was formed.

Sarkar informed that the police started gathering evidence for a detailed investigation which would help the prosecution secure capital punishment for the accused. While investigating, police gathered several CCTV footage where Sardar was seen walking and riding his bicycle. Meanwhile, a friend of the girl informed police that she had seen the girl riding pillion with Sardar on his bicycle. When cops interrogated the youth, he confessed that seeing the girl alone, he had offered a bicycle ride to her home which she accepted. Later, he raped the girl in an abandoned place and strangled her to death.

ADG South Bengal also said that as per the demand of the girl’s family that the autopsy be conducted in a hospital run by the Centre, police made a suo motu appeal to the Calcutta High Court seeking permission for the same. He also informed that after the autopsy, 68 injury marks, internal and external, were found on the body. In a record 25 days, the investigation was completed. The trial began on November 5 and the court heard testimony from 36 witnesses before concluding proceedings on November 26.