The Juvenile Justice Board sentenced a 17-year-old boy to a three-year reform home stay for the brutal rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.
Incidentally, this is the first such case in Gujarat, where the board has given the maximum punishment of three years, to a juvenile in its entire history.
The Juvenile Justice Board comprising its chairperson J M Brahmbhatt and the member Sudhir Patel today sent the boy to reform home for three years, after observing that he had committed the heinous crime of rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.
The board observed, "The juvenile's offence is unpardonable, considering the circumstances of the case."
With this observation, the Juvenile Justice Board sent the boy who committed the crime to the reform home.
The Board also considered testimonies of 40 witnesses recorded by the investigating officer and confirmed charges of rape and murder under Section 376 and Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code respectively, along with provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Protection Act.
On June 21 this year, the juvenile murdered the five-year-old girl after raping her, the police complaint said.
The juvenile told the police that he first raped the girl and then cut her throat with a blade until she died.
Later, he hid her dead body in the luggage compartment of a parked bus, in which he worked as a cleaner.
The police found her body from the luggage compartment hidden behind some rocks. The body was tied up with ropes and had several cut marks on the neck and chest.
The post-mortem report also confirmed rape on the deceased before the murder.
The prosecution demanded that the juvenile should be sent to reform home for three years, which was granted by the board.
