Swift Justice Served: Teenager Sentenced to Death for Horrific Crime Against 10-Year-Old in Kultali – A Wake-Up Call for Stronger Action on Child Protection

19-Year-Old Sentenced to Death for Rape and Murder of 10-Year-Old Girl in South 24 Parganas

PTI, Kolkata, Dec 6, 2024 : A special court in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district has sentenced a 19-year-old man to death for raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl, within just two months of the crime. The body of the victim was discovered in a pond in the Kultali area of Joynagar on October 5. The girl, a class 4 student, had gone missing while returning home from her tuition class.

The POCSO court of Additional District Judge Subrata Chattopadhyay, in Baruipur, convicted the accused under sections 65 (rape), 66 (punishment for causing death or resulting in a persistent vegetative state of the victim), and 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), in addition to charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court described the case as one of the "rarest of rare" and awarded the death penalty to the convict.

The police filed the charge sheet on October 30, and the trial, which commenced on November 5, was completed in just 21 days. The case had gained significant attention due to the violent protests that erupted in the area following the crime, which is about 50 km from Kolkata. Demonstrators torched vehicles, ransacked a police outpost, and blocked roads. The state government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

Special public prosecutor Bibhas Chatterjee, who represented the prosecution, emphasized the importance of the swift investigation and trial. "The verdict could set a precedent in the annals of the country’s criminal jurisprudence, given the speed with which the investigation and trial were conducted," Chatterjee said. "In the wake of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case, the Kultali verdict proves that not everything is wrong in Bengal's police and justice system. Kultali has the potential to change the narrative surrounding RG Kar."

After the verdict, the victim's father expressed his gratitude, stating, "I am thankful to the court. The culprit must be punished for his crime."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee praised the verdict, calling it unprecedented in the state’s history. "Conviction and capital punishment in such a case in just over two months is unprecedented in the history of the state," Banerjee said. "I congratulate the state police and all those involved in the prosecution process for this outstanding achievement. The government has zero tolerance toward offences against women and will continue to ensure that justice is neither delayed nor denied," she posted on X (formerly Twitter). The Chief Minister had earlier met the victim's parents at the state secretariat and assured them of all possible assistance in securing justice.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also commented on the case, calling for the nationwide implementation of the Aparajita Anti-Rape Bill. "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 said.

The swift delivery of justice in this case has been widely hailed as a significant step in addressing the growing concerns about violence against women in West Bengal and the country as a whole.