Kerala: In a swift and decisive judgment, a Kerala court sentenced Ashwaq Alam, a migrant laborer, to death in the Aluva child rape and murder case. The Special POCSO (Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences) court judge, K Soman, pronounced the death penalty on Children’s Day, coinciding with the 11th anniversary of the enactment of the POCSO Act on November 14, 2012.
The sentencing took place in the presence of the victim’s parents, and Alam, convicted on November 4, faced charges of raping and murdering a 5-year-old girl from Bihar. The prosecution argued that the heinous nature of the crime fell into the category of the rarest of rare cases, justifying the death penalty.
Read Here: Tragic abduction & rape of 5yr old in Kerala sends shockwaves
During the sentencing arguments, Alam claimed that he was singled out in the case while other accused were released. He made no further statements, as per the prosecution’s account. The court found Alam guilty of all 16 offenses listed in the charge sheet, with five offenses punishable by death.
The tragic incident occurred on July 28 when the young girl was abducted from her rented house, brutally raped, and strangled to death. Her lifeless body was later discovered dumped in a swampy region behind a local market in Aluva. The arrest of Alam was facilitated by CCTV footage, and the trial was conducted swiftly, completing within 100 days.
