Kolkata: A Baruipur court on Friday sentenced 19-year-old Mustakin Sardar to death for the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Kultali. The sentencing came exactly 62 days after the commission of the crime. The victim's family was awarded Rs 10 lakh.
Judge Subrata Chatterjee of the fast additional district judges court in Baruipur had on Thursday convicted Mustakin as guilty.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to ‘X' to assert that the govt had a zero-tolerance stand towards offences. "The accused in the case involving the brutal rape and murder of a minor girl in Joynagar on Ovt 4 has been sentenced to death today by the Pocso court at Baruipur just within 62 days of the ghastly incident. Conviction and capital punishment in such a case in just over two months is unprecedented in the history of the state. The govt has zero-tolerance towards offences against women and will continue to ensure that justice is neither delayed nor denied," she wrote.
As the hearing began on Friday, Judge Chatterjee asked Mustakin if he had anything to say. Mustakin said, "I did not do this. I am an only child, my father is ill. There is no one else to take care of them. If possible, please forgive me. I worked due to financial hardship. There is no one else to look after my parents."
On hearing about Mustakin's father's illness, the judge said, "Police say there is no trace of your father. Now it is being said he is ill at home." The judge also asked Mustakin's lawyer, "Can you prove the father is at home? Can you provide his contact number? If the father is ill, that matter needs to be looked into." Mustakin's lawyer called his father's number from court, but could not reach him.
Mustakin's lawyer requested the judge to "give him a chance to reform, considering his age". But special PP Bivas Chatterjee said, "The girl trusted and got on his (Mustakin's) bicycle after being told her father had told him to bring her back home. It was a lie. He took her to a secluded place, raped and murdered her. There were 42 injuries on her body... If forgiven, such incidents will recur."
(inputs by Monotosh Chakraborty)
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.