In a verdict on a gruesome act, a transgender person has been found guilty of the rape and murder of a three-month-old girl in 2021. The verdict was delivered by a special court in Mumbai on Tuesday, February 27 nearly after four years.
The 24-year-old accused faced charges including rape, murder, kidnapping, and destroying evidence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court found the accused guilty, while a co-accused was acquitted due to a lack of evidence. The court said, "The crime will put chills down the spines of every parent of a girl child, especially in a poor area."
The Night of the Incident
The child was kidnapped on July 8, 2021, in the middle of the night. On the night of July 8, 2021, the mother put the infant to sleep at around 9.30 pm. She had left the front door open because it was hot in their slum neighbourhood. The mother first woke up at 1 am to feed the baby. When she woke up again at 3 am, she discovered the infant was missing.
Accused's Motive
The transgender individual had visited the family's house on the day of the incident, seeking gifts for the infant. The transgender person demanded a customary coconut, a saree, and cash worth INR 1100. But the family was unable to provide any of these. Because of this, the family was threatened by the accused, who vowed to do something "that will make him popular" within the next few days.
Investigation and Evidence
The family mentioned the accused's name in their supplemental statement to the police next day. The Cuffe Parade police station received a missing person's report. After questioning, the accused led the police to the infant's body on July 9, 2021. Medical evidence confirmed the girl was raped and then abandoned in a marshy area where she drowned.
The court based its decision on circumstantial evidence. This included the family's testimony and the accounts of two neighbours who said they saw the accused at around two in the morning, carrying a "bundle" on his shoulder.
Court's Ruling
The court declared that the case falls into the "rarest of rare" category, and there should be no mercy. The accused's actions, aimed at gaining notoriety, have sent shockwaves through the community, leaving a family devastated and a society in fear.
The intention was to create fear in the community and become popular so that no one would refuse to give them gifts. On the victim's body, severe penetrating genital injuries were discovered; she was completely helpless. Judge Aditee Uday Kadam, a special POCSO, declared that the accused's actions demonstrated extreme violence.
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