AMN/ KOCHI
The Ernakulam POSCO Court today awarded death sentence to Ranjit, the prime accused in the murder of a four year old girl in October, 2013 at Chottanikkara, near Kochi.
Besides this the child’s mother and her friend have been awarded double life sentence by the Court. The Court also ordered all the three convicts to pay penalty . The Court found all the three guilty under Juvenile Justice Act and the POSCO Act.
Pronouncing its judgement in the murder case in which girl was killed by her mother’s paramour, the Ernakulam POCSO Court on Monday awarded death sentence to prime convict Ranjith.
The child’s mother Rani and her friend Basil have been awarded double life sentence. All the three convicts are also ordered to pay penalty.
The three convicts were found guilty by the court under Juvenile Justice Act and the POCSO Act. On January 12, Ranjith attempted suicide in jail ahead of the sentencing. Following the incident, the verdict was put off to January 15.
On October 29, 2013, the four-year-old girl child was killed by Ranjith alleging that she was a hindrance to the illicit relationships her mother had. The next day, Rani had approached the Chottanikkara police station to file child missing case. Finding discrepancies in her statement, police further questioned her and the details of the murder came out.
When the child came back from school that day, Rani and Basil were not at home. Ranjith tried to assault the girl. When the child started crying aloud, he gagged her mouth. When she tried to resist, he threw her at the wall. The back of her head hit the wall which resulted in the death. The attack had left her with a broken spine, arms and a terrible injury at private parts.
Ranjith hid the body on the terrace. When Rani and Basil returned, they together planned to dispose the body and Rani suggested the place for it.
Rani’s husband Vinod was jailed at this time in a drug case. Rani was in relationship with Ranjith for many years. Basil is staying with Rani at her house in Ambadimala posing as her brother.