High Court Commutes Death Sentence to 25 Years Imprisonment in Rape and Attempted Murder Case

In a significant development, the High Court has converted the death sentence awarded to a 20-year-old accused who raped and attempted to murder a four-year-old minor girl into 25 years of imprisonment. The decision was made by a division bench of Justices Vivek Agarwal and Devnarayan Mishra, who considered the accused's family background and lack of education, among other factors. The accused was initially sentenced to death by the POCSO court of Khandwa district on April 21, 2023, but the High Court's decision has effectively commuted the sentence.

Key Takeaways:

  • The High Court has commuted the death sentence of a 20-year-old accused who raped and attempted to murder a four-year-old minor girl to 25 years of imprisonment.
  • The decision was made by a division bench of Justices Vivek Agarwal and Devnarayan Mishra, who considered the accused's family background and lack of education.
  • The accused was initially sentenced to death by the POCSO court of Khandwa district on April 21, 2023, for the brutal crime.
  • The victim's father filed a police complaint on October 31, 2022, after his daughter was found in a dying state in a mango orchard.
  • The accused argued that there was no eyewitness evidence and only a DNA report linking him to the crime.
  • The Government countered that DNA evidence is a scientific proof of the brutal rape and attempted murder.

Statistics:

  • 25 years: The imprisonment sentence imposed by the High Court on the accused.
  • 20 years: The age of the accused at the time of the crime.
  • 4 years: The age of the minor victim.
  • October 30-31, 2022: The night the incident occurred.
  • April 21, 2023: The date of the initial death sentence by the POCSO court of Khandwa district.

Sources:

  • The Hitavada, Copyright 2025, distributed by Contify.com