In a landmark verdict, an Odisha court has sentenced a man to death for the brutal rape and murder of a 4-year-old girl, highlighting the severity of crimes against children and the importance of swift justice under the POCSO Act.
Key Points
- An Angul court in Odisha sentenced Babula Jena to death for the rape and murder of a 4-year-old girl.
- The victim went missing on March 13, 2025, and her body was found two days later, with post-mortem confirming sexual assault and death by strangulation.
- Police investigation involved meticulous crime scene examination, forensic evidence collection, and DNA sampling, leading to the arrest of the accused within four days.
- The court found the accused guilty under the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
- Odisha DGP praised the Angul SP and the investigation team for their swift action in delivering justice to the victim's family.
A POCSO Court in Odisha's Angul district on Friday sentenced a man to death for raping and killing a 4-year-old girl.
The death sentence was pronounced by the Additional District Judge-cum-Special Court under the POCSO Act, Angul, Judge Soumya Priyadarshini.
The convict, identified as Babula Jena (40) of Jereng village under Jarpada police station in Angul district, was arrested on the charge of rape and murder of a minor girl (4 years 10 months), a resident of Industrial police station in the district.
"The court found the accused guilty beyond all reasonable doubt for offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) with Section 6 of the POCSO Act," Odisha Police said in a statement.
Details of the Crime
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on March 13, 2025, when the minor victim went missing while playing in front of her house. Despite extensive searches by family and neighbours, she could not be traced, following which her father lodged a complaint at the Industrial Police Station on March 14, 2025.
The next morning on March 15, 2025, the police said the child's body was recovered from under a tree near her residence. Post-mortem examination confirmed death due to compression of the neck, with findings consistent with forcible penetrative sexual assault, the police said.
Swift Investigation and Arrest
The police said the investigation was conducted with exceptional speed and diligence under the overall supervision of Superintendent of Police, Angul, Rahul Jain.
The police later identified the accused Babula Jena, and he was arrested on March 17, 2025, within just four days of the incident and forwarded to court the next day.
"The investigation involved meticulous spot examination across three crime scenes, scientific and forensic evidence collection, witness examination, DNA sampling, confessional statement of the accused, and recovery of incriminating articles," the police said.
Odisha DGP, Y B Khurania, thanked the Angul SP and the investigating team for providing swift justice to the victim's family. He described the case as a testament to swift justice since it came almost a year after the arrest.
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