In a rare synergy between police, forensics and judiciary in Gujarat, justice has been delivered to families of three minor rape victims within a month’s time of the incidents. That three families got justice within a month of the crime having taken place does mean that the system has been responsive.
“This is the fastest and quickest investigation and justice delivered ever in India in rape cases, Gujarat State Minister Harsh Sanghavi told Vibes of India stressing upon the zero tolerance policy towards rape and crimes against women in Gujarat.
On Tuesday, a POCSO court sentenced capital punishment to a 35 year old migrant labourer from Bihar. Guddu Yadav, who the POCSO court said should be hanged until death raped and murdered a two and half year old girl in Surat. Guddu is 35.
The verdict was delivered within 29 days of the crime.
POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) Court judge PS Kala sentenced Guddu Yadav hanging until dead punishment for raping and killing the infant on the night of November 4 in Pandesara industrial suburb of Surat. Guddu is free to approach a higher court.
The gruesome incident occurred on November 4 last month. Guddu’s victim was a co- migrant labourer’s infant daughter. There were no political or community pressures to act or no VIP was involved. Still, the Surat police acted swiftly and arrested the accused Guddu within 48 hours of the crime. The police recorded statements of 43 people and filed the chargesheet within a week. The Gujarat Forensic Sciences Laboratory also got into action and quickly verified the evidence establishing that the accused Guddu was the rapist. Within 29 days, POCSO delivered its’ judgement.
“This is the fastest ever investigation and judgment given in a rape case in India,” Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi told Vibes of India. “We have adopted a zero tolerance policy towards all crimes and this case has set an example of how investigations and judiciary should work”, he added, even as he conveyed Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s compliments to the State Police.
Life imprisonment unto death in 24 days for raping a minor (December 1, 2021)
In another real fast-track verdict, a Gandhinagar court sentenced a 26-year-old serial rapist and murderer of infant girls to life imprisonment unto death in 24 days flat of the last crime on November 5 evening. Additional District Judge SN Solanki gave his verdict in the rape and murder case of a 7-year-old girl in Santej village in the Gandhinagar district.
The incident occurred on November 5 evening when a labourer Vijay Thakor abducted the girl sleeping with her family. He then raped and murdered her at a secluded place.
It took three days for the local police to arrest him on November 8. A charge sheet was filed on November 15 and after 13 days of hearing, the verdict was pronounced on December 1.
Thakor is married with a daughter and investigating police officers claimed that porn excited him to have sex with baby girls. He has already confessed to have raped three girls. A police officer told Vo! that he has confessed to raping three girls aged three, five and seven respectively and murdering one of them.
He was remanded in police custody till November 11.
Life sentence in 31 days for raping a 5-year- old (November 12, 2021)
A Surat court sentenced to life a native of Uttar Pradesh for raping a five-year-old girl. The trial in the case was completed in 31 days. According to the prosecution, the case dates back to October 12 when the girl was playing outside her house. The accused took her to a nearby stall and bought her fruit juice, and later took her to a secluded place, where he raped her. He also tried to kill her by strangulating her and then absconded.
After the girl’s family found that she had gone missing, police along with the local residents carried out a search operation. After checking CCTV footage, police found the girl was with the accused and later found her lying in the bushes several hours later
The order stated, “Under victim compensation scheme, the victim should get Rs 15 lakh and 75% of the compensation amount should be kept in the nationalized bank in the name of the victim and her mother and its term should be until the victim attained maturity. The remaining 25% of the compensation amount should be deposited in the bank account of the victim’s mother, through cheque.”
