Home minister lauds police & prosecution for promptness BHOPAL: A court in Sagar has awarded the death sentence to a man accused of raping a nine-year old girl on May 21. SP Satyandra Shukla told TOI that this is the first case of capital punishment for child rape after the new law was passed.The convict was arrested within 12 hours from a jungle near the village and booked under IPC Section 376 A & B for rape, IPC 366 for abduction and Sections 3,4 and 5 of POCSO Act, said SP Satyandra Shukla. Investigation was completed in 72 hours — including recording of statements from 25 witnesses — and the chargesheet filed on May 24, the SP added. The DNA report was received on July 2, and it nailed Bhaggi.“As the girl was a minor, investigations were carried out on priority basis and forensic reports also arrived on time,” said Shukla. Additional public prosecutor P L Rawat said the hearing was completed in 46 days and additional district magistrate Sudhanshu Saxena Rehli pronounced the death sentence on Saturday.CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who pursued the death-forchild-rape law with great resolve, said: “This will send a strong message to criminals. Our government was always determined for a law to hang those who rape children.” Home minister Bhupendra Singh termed the sentence “historic”. In December last year, the MP assembly unanimously passed the bill. After President’s approval, it became a law on April 21.The home minister lauded police and prosecution for their promptness shown in the case. “The Madhya Pradesh government amended the law and made provision for death sentence to rapists of minors to teach them a lesson,” Singh said.

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