POCSO Court Awards Death Penalty in Hooghly Case; Mamata Praises Police for Swift Action

PTI, KOLKATA, JAN 17, 2025: A POCSO court on Friday sentenced to death a man for the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl at Gurap in West Bengal's Hooghly district within 55 days of the crime.  

The designated POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) court judge in Chinsurah court found 42-year-old Ashoke Singh guilty of the rape and murder of the minor. The court awarded the capital punishment to Singh on Friday after pronouncing him guilty of the crime on Wednesday.  

On the evening of November 24, 2024, the girl had gone missing, and after a search by her family members in the locality, her body was found in the house of Singh, a neighbor. Singh had taken the girl to his house after offering to give her chocolates and committed rape on her before killing her, according to the prosecution. He was arrested on the same night by a team from Gurap police station, its officer in charge, Bapi Halder, said.  

A charge sheet was filed against Singh within 14 days of the crime, and the in-camera trial in the case commenced on December 18 before the POCSO court. During the trial, 27 witnesses were examined by the prosecution and defense lawyers in the case.  

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed gratitude to the police for their prompt action and thorough investigation in the case.  

In a post on X, she said:  

“Today, the court has pronounced a death sentence for the convict who had raped and murdered the small girl of Gurap, and I thank the Judiciary for that. I thank Hooghly Rural District Police for their swift action and thorough probe that ensured speedy trial and conviction in 54 days. My heart goes to the family, and I share their pain and longing.  

“A rapist has no place in our world. All of us together will make it a safer place for our children through stringent law, social reforms, effective and unforgiving administration. No such crime will go unpunished,” she added.