Telangana man sentenced to death for rape-murder of infant girl

A court in Telangana on Thursday sentenced a man to death for sexual assault and killing of a nine-month-old girl child.

A local court in Warangal Urban district pronounced the verdict within two months of the shocking incident.

The judge awarded the death penalty to K. Praveen under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He is the first convict to be sentenced to death under POCSO Act in Telangana.

In a beastly act, K. Praveen had sexually assaulted and killed the baby on the night of June 18 in Hanamkonda town.

The 28-year-old had picked up the child when she was sleeping with her parents on the terrace of their house.

On not finding the child, the parents raised an alarm. Some people in a nearby lane found a youth running away after dumping the baby on the ground. They chased and caught hold of the accused and handed him over to police.

The baby was shifted to a hospital, where she was declared brought dead.

The incident had triggered public outrage with women's organizations staging protests demanding that the youth be hanged in public immediately.

The police had filed chargesheet in the case within 20 days. The trial in the case began in Warangal District Additional court on July 24 and was completed on Aug 2.

There were 51 witnesses in the case and 30 of them recorded their statements in the court.

According to public prosecutor, the accused confessed to committing the crime in an inebriated condition.

Warangal District Bar Association had resolved that none of its members will represent the accused in the case. The Association and women's groups hailed the judgment.

( With inputs from IANS )