Angul: In a significant development, the POCSO Court in Angul on Friday awarded the death penalty to a 40-year-old man convicted in the rape and murder of a 4-year-and-10-month-old minor girl, delivering the verdict within 13 months of the crime.
The convict, identified as Babulal Jena of Jereng village under Jarapada police station limits, was found guilty based on DNA findings, forensic analysis, and other corroborative evidence presented during the trial.
According to case details, the minor girl, a resident of the Nisha Shilpanchal police station area, was reported missing by her family on March 14, 2025. Acting promptly, police launched an intensive search operation. The following day, her body was recovered near a mahua tree close to her residence.
The post-mortem examination confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted and later strangled to death.
Police arrested the accused on March 17, 2025, following investigation. After examining all evidence and witness testimonies, the court held him guilty and sentenced him to death by hanging.
The verdict has been widely welcomed in the locality, with residents and members of civil society terming it a strong message against crimes involving children and expressing hope for deterrence.
