The POCSO court at Chinsurah, Hooghly ordered capital punishment today for an accused in the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl at Gurap in Hooghly, following a 55-day trial.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today hailed the police role in her X-handle.

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Miss Banerjee wrote: “Today, the court has pronounced death sentence for the convict who had raped and murdered the small girl of Gurap and I thank the judiciary for that.

I thank Hooghly Rural District Police for their swift action and thorough probe that ensured speedy trial and conviction in 54 days.

My heart goes to the family, and I share their pain and longing.

A rapist has no place in our world. All of us together will make it a safer place for our children through stringent law, social reforms, effective and unforgiving administration. No such crime will go unpunished.”

The trial saw examination of 27 witnesses, who recorded their statements before a magistrate in the court before being pronounced guilty by the court.

The Gurap rural police, who conducted a probe into the heinous crime had filed a charge sheet in the case within 13 days of the crime committed.

The verdict pertained to a case of an alleged rape and murder, which happened on 24 November, last year. The accused, Ashok Singh was a neighbour of the victim and committed the crime allegedly by enticing the little girl with chocolates.

Father of the minor, who was not at home, found his daughter missing following his return. And after a frantic search, the unconscious body of the minor was recovered from the room of the accused, next door. She was declared brought dead after being taken to a rural hospital.

The Gurap rural police swung into action first detained the accused and slapped various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanghita against him and was arrested later.

A special investigation team was formed, headed by deputy superintendent of police of Hooghly rural district police and investigation lunched. A team of forensic experts visited the spot and collected samples.

Diamond Harbour MP and TMC national general secretary too wrote about the verdict in his X-handle. He wrote: “In Bengal, JUSTICE is delivered SWIFTLY, DECISIVELY and UNCOMPROMISINGLY.

Today, the Hooghly POCSO Court pronounced the death sentence for the perpetrator responsible for the heinous rape and murder of a minor girl from Gurap. I congratulate the Hooghly Rural District Police team led by Shri Kamanasish Sen – IPS, for their meticulous investigation, presenting an airtight case in court and ensuring TRIAL and CONVICTION within a RECORD 54 DAYS.

This serves as a powerful reminder that while others may offer mere lip service to NARI SURAKSHA, Bengal stands firm with a ZERO TOLERANCE APPROACH to crimes against women.