Court sentences man to death in ‘rarest of rare’ case of rape of infant
The infant is still battling for her life in the ICU of a state-run hospital and has already undergone four surgeries, the court was told.
A Pocso court in Kolkata on Tuesday sentenced a 34-year-old man to death by hanging for the rape and attempted murder of a seven-month-old girl in November last year after the defence counsel and public prosecutor argued that the crime fell under the “rarest of the rare” category.
The Bankshall court on Monday convicted the man, Rajib Ghosh, of kidnapping, rape, and attempt to murder the infant from the Burtolla area of the city within 75 days of his arrest. The quantum of punishment was announced after hearing the final round of submissions.
“The court had held the man Rajib Ghosh guilty of rape on Monday. On Tuesday, while stating that the case fits into the rarest of the rarest crime bracket, the court sentenced him to death,” said Bivas Chatterjee, special public prosecutor.
The infant is still battling for her life in the ICU of a state-run hospital and has already undergone four surgeries, the court was told.
Her condition remains critical on account of the severe nature of injuries she sustained from the assault, a hospital official said. “She is still fighting for her life and even if she manages to pull through, it is unlikely that she would ever be able to lead a normal life,” he added.
Local residents of Burtolla in north Kolkata found the child on December 1, 2024, bleeding and crying. The police were alerted and on medical examination, it was found that she was raped.
“The accused raped and tortured her for 30 minutes in the intervening night of November 30 and December 1 after picking her up from the footpath where she was sleeping with her parents. Later he dumped her near a temple in a naked condition,” said an officer.
Ghosh was arrested by Kolkata Police on December 5 from his residence in Gopiballavpur area of Jhargram district where he had fled.
Police said that technology and a peculiar limping gait of the man had helped the sleuths to identify him. “At least 24 witnesses were examined. A doctor for the RG Kar Hospital had told the court that he has never seen such a heinous crime. The perineal region had completely ruptured. Doctors have told that she won’t be able to live a normal life,” Chatterjee told the court during the hearing.
Ghosh was found guilty by judge Indrila Mukherjee under sections 65 (2), 140 (4), 137 (2), and 118 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Sec 6 of the POCSO Act. The first and last sections of the two Acts entailed death by hanging as maximum punishment for the convict.
“Such was the crime that the court, while announcing the judgement, observed that he has no right to live,” said Chatterjee.