Assam man gets death for rape, murder of 5-year-old

Guwahati, February 10 (PTI): A court in Assam's Hojai district on Wednesday sentenced a man to death for raping and murdering a 5-year-old girl last year.

Additional District and Sessions Judge N Senabai convicted Chandan Harijan of raping and murdering the minor girl under the IPC and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the convict, which would be paid to the victims family as compensation.

Harijan lured the girl who she was playing outside her house to a secluded place, raped her and strangled her to death on February 26, 2020.

The police submitted the chargesheet within two months of filing the case but the hearing did not take place as courts were shut due to the lockdown.

The hearing in the case began in December and 20 prosecution witnesses were heard before the order was passed on Wednesday.