A POCSO court in Kolkata’s Bankshall Court has given the death sentence to a man for raping a 7-month-old baby. He was found guilty of kidnapping, raping, and trying to kill the child in the Burtolla area. The court convicted him within 75 days of his arrest, delivering quick justice. This judgment shows the court’s strong stand against crimes against children.
Kolkata: A special POCSO court in Kolkata sentenced a man to death by hanging on Tuesday for the rape and attempted murder of a seven-month-old child in north Kolkata.
The court at Bankshall convicted Rajib Ghosh of kidnapping, rape, and attempted murder of the toddler from the Burtolla area within 75 days of his arrest.
The court announced the punishment after hearing final arguments from both the defense counsel and the public prosecutor, who argued for capital punishment on the grounds that the crime qualified as one of the “rarest of the rare” cases.
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This marks the seventh death sentence issued by West Bengal courts in the past six months, and the sixth under the POCSO Act for sexual assaults on minors.
Judge Indrila Mukherjee found Ghosh guilty under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, both of which prescribe death by hanging as the maximum penalty for such offenses. Ghosh committed the crime on November 30 last year and was arrested on December 5 at his home in Gopiballavpur, Jhargram district.
The police submitted their first charge sheet on December 30, followed by a supplementary charge sheet shortly after. The victim, who lives in a roadside shanty, is currently receiving treatment at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, according to special public prosecutor Bibhas Chatterjee. He noted that the trial process was completed in just 40 days, starting on January 7.
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The death sentence in this case was given under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The key legal provisions likely applied include:
- POCSO Act, 2012
- Section 6 – Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault (which includes the rape of a child below 12 years); punishment can extend to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
- Indian Penal Code (IPC)
- Section 376AB – Rape of a girl below 12 years; provides for life imprisonment or the death penalty.
- Section 363 – Kidnapping.
- Section 307 – Attempt to murder.
Since this case involved a toddler (7-month-old), the court likely applied the 2018 amendment to POCSO and IPC, which introduced the death penalty for child rapists in extreme cases.