“District Judge and Additional Sessions Judge S.R. Padwal Sentences Sanjay Puri, 32, to Death for Kidnapping, Rape, and Murder of Five-Year-Old Girl”
“Nagpur Court Sentences Man to Death in 2019 Case of Kidnapping, Rape, and Murder of Five-Year-Old Girl, Pending Confirmation by Bombay High Court”
District Judge and Additional Sessions Judge S.R. Padwal handed down a death sentence to the convict, Sanjay Puri, aged 32, on charges under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, Section 376(A)(B) (rape of a minor) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The case revolved around a tragic incident involving a five-year-old girl who resided with her labourer parents on a farm. Following the girl’s disappearance, a complaint was filed, leading to Puri’s arrest. Puri, who served as a guard at the farm, was later found to be linked to the heinous crime. The grievously injured body of the minor girl was discovered on the farm, indicating a brutal assault.
The incident sparked widespread outrage, prompting villagers to stage protests against the gruesome act.
Special Public Prosecutor Prashant Kumar Sathianathan, representing the prosecution, presented testimony from 26 witnesses against Puri. Advocating for the most severe penalty, Sathianathan argued that Puri’s actions constituted a barbaric act of rape and murder against a defenseless five-year-old girl, deserving nothing short of the death penalty.