Within a year of case, man gets death sentence for raping & killing minor girl

Siliguri: The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Court of Siliguri sentenced Mohammad Abbas, a 22-year-old youth, to death for raping and murdering a 16-year-old mentally unstable minor girl. The verdict was given within a year of the incident.

Anita Mehrotra Mathur, Additional District and Sessions Judge (1) of the first court, found him guilty on Wednesday and sentenced him on Saturday.

The parents of the victim thanked the judicial system and expressed satisfaction. Abbas was booked under six sections and was sentenced to death under sections 376(A) and 302 of the Indian Penal Code. A victim compensation of Rs 10 lakh was also announced.

“Heinous crime had been committed. He raped the girl, and she died due to the rape. The court found it to be the rarest of the rare cases and sentenced him to death. We need to convey a strong message through this conviction,” said Bibhash Chatterjee, the Public Prosecutor (PP).

On August 21, 2023, the body of the girl, covered in blood, was recovered from a dilapidated house near the Motajyot area in Matigara near Khaprail More. Her head was smashed, and her body bore multiple injury marks. She was in a school uniform. Within a few hours of the incident, police arrested Abbas after identifying him through CCTV footage.

Family members of the victim, residents of Siliguri, and members of social organisations staged protests demanding that the culprit be hanged. A bandh was also observed in the district. The trial of the case started on January 3, 2024. A total of 22 witnesses were questioned during the trial, including a traffic constable and a 13-year-old girl who saw Abbas at the crime scene.

That day, Abbas took the girl on a bicycle to the area. He raped her and smashed her head after killing her to hide her identity. She was identified by her uniform. Her DNA and Abbas’s blood sample were matched.