A fast-track court in Baruipur, West Bengal, on Friday sentenced a youth to death for the brutal rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Joynagar on October 4.
This marks the first conviction of its kind in the state since the RG Kar Hospital tragedy, where a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered in August.
The Baruipur conviction, achieved in just 62 days, has been hailed as a milestone in West Bengal’s judicial history.
Public prosecutor Bibhas Chakrabarty called it unprecedented, noting the swift action and the testimony of 36 witnesses that contributed to the landmark judgment.
“Police formed a special investigation team, and everyone worked to ensure the highest punishment under the law,” Chakrabarty said.
The young victim’s body, bearing 45 injuries, was discovered in a pond, sparking widespread outrage in the South 24 Parganas district.
Locals, angered by the gruesome crime, set a police vehicle ablaze, vandalised a police outpost, and staged protests, further amplifying demands for swift justice.
The incident occurred when the girl was returning from tuition.
The convict, Mustakin Sardar, a youth from the same locality, intercepted her, raped her, and dumped her body. Sardar was arrested within hours after police recovered the body.
The investigation relied heavily on forensic evidence, including CCTV footage and Gait Analysis, a scientific assessment of body movement. Police confirmed that the person captured on camera was indeed the accused.
“This advanced method of identification helped link the accused to the crime beyond doubt,” a police officer remarked.
The RG Kar case, which preceded the Joynagar incident, is still undergoing trial after being handed over to the CBI two weeks ago.
The two cases have highlighted the urgency of addressing crimes against women and children in the state.
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