Man sentenced to death for rape and murder of his 7-year-old niece in UP’s Sitapur   

A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur on Thursday awarded the death penalty to a 38-year-old man named Neelu for the rape and murder of his seven-year-old niece, a government lawyer said on Friday, adding that the court also imposed a fine of Rs 13,000 on him.

The incident took place under the Imalia Sultanpur police station area in the Sitapur district in January 2019.

Additional District Judge (POCSO) Bhagirath Verma held Neelu guilty and awarded him the death penalty.

“This brutal incident against an innocent girl shames humanity, and such criminals have no right to live,” Verma said in his verdict. The court described the case as “rarest of the rare” and noted that the accused posed a threat to society.

Additional District Government Counsel, Govind Mishra, told reporters here that Neelu raped his seven-year-old niece and dumped her body in the Sarayan river after killing her.

The court awarded the death penalty to Neelu under IPC sections 302 (murder), 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder), 376AB (rape of woman under 12 years of age) and the POCSO Act, added Mishra.