A fast-track special court in Chhattisgarh's Durg district has sentenced a 24-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of his six-year-old niece. The court described the crime as a Rarest of Rare Case, taking into account the circumstances surrounding the offence and the extreme nature of the assault. The verdict was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Anish Dubey, who convicted Somesh Yadav under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The case involved the sexual assault and subsequent death of a young girl in April 2025. The judgment came around 17 months after the crime, with the fast-track court relying on witness accounts as well as forensic and DNA evidence presented during the proceedings.

Six-Year-Old Girl Went Missing During Chaitra Navratri

According to the case details, the child had gone to her grandmother's house in the Om Nagar Urla area of Durg for a kanya pujan ritual during Chaitra Navratri. When the girl did not return home by evening, her family became concerned and began looking for her. As the search continued without success, the family approached Mohan Nagar Police Station and filed a missing-person report. Police subsequently intensified efforts to trace the child. The search took a tragic turn when the girl's body was discovered inside the trunk of a car parked in the nearby area. Investigators found injuries on her face, including scratch marks, while her lips were reportedly bloodied. The discovery led investigators to treat the case as a suspected sexual assault and murder, triggering a detailed criminal investigation.

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Forensic Evidence Became Central to Investigation

Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the child's death and collected scientific evidence from the scene. Forensic examination and DNA analysis subsequently linked the accused, Somesh Yadav, to the sexual assault. The investigation indicated that the accused was the girl's paternal uncle. The scientific evidence became an important part of the prosecution's case before the court. The medical findings presented during the proceedings indicated that the child suffered extreme physical trauma during the assault. According to the report cited in the case, she suffered cardiac arrest following the severe physical trauma. The prosecution relied on a combination of witness statements, medical findings and forensic evidence to establish the sequence of events and the accused's involvement.

Toilet Cleaner Used in Attempt to Destroy Evidence

One of the most disturbing aspects of the case involved the alleged attempt to destroy evidence after the assault. According to the prosecution's case, the accused poured toilet-cleaning chemical on the child's private parts after the sexual assault. Investigators said the act was intended to remove blood traces and make it more difficult to establish what had happened. The prosecution also alleged that the accused attempted to mislead investigators by concealing the child's body inside the trunk of a neighbour's car. These circumstances formed an important part of the prosecution's argument before the court and contributed to the seriousness with which the court viewed the offence.

Court Calls Crime a Rarest of Rare Case

After examining the evidence, the special court convicted Yadav and imposed the death penalty. The court classified the matter as a Rarest of Rare Case, a category used by courts when the circumstances of a crime are considered exceptionally grave. The judgment followed the presentation of both testimonial and scientific evidence during the trial. The prosecution's case was supported by forensic analysis and DNA findings, along with statements from witnesses. The court's decision means the convict has been sentenced to death by hanging, subject to the legal process that applies to a death sentence. The verdict brings a major development in a case that began with the disappearance of a six-year-old girl and later turned into a murder investigation.

Family's Search Ended in Tragedy

The case began when the child failed to return after visiting her grandmother's home for a religious ritual. Her family's efforts to locate her eventually led them to the police. The discovery of the body inside a parked vehicle changed the nature of the investigation. Police then began examining the child's movements, people who had access to her and evidence from the location where the body was recovered. Investigators subsequently focused on the child's paternal uncle. Scientific examination later provided evidence connecting him with the offence. The use of forensic and DNA evidence played a significant role in establishing the prosecution's case. The evidence was presented before the court alongside witness testimony.

POCSO Law and Serious Crimes Against Children

The Child Rape Case has once again highlighted the importance of strict legal action in crimes involving children. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences law was enacted specifically to provide a legal framework for dealing with sexual offences against minors. In cases involving sexual violence against children, investigators may rely on medical examinations, forensic material, DNA testing, witness statements and other forms of evidence to establish what occurred. In the Durg case, the prosecution presented scientific evidence along with witness accounts, allowing the court to examine the case through multiple forms of evidence.

Death Sentence Follows 17-Month Trial Process

The fast-track special court delivered its verdict roughly 17 months after the April 2025 crime. The relatively quick conclusion of the proceedings is significant because the case involved a serious offence against a minor and required examination of forensic and medical evidence. The court's decision has resulted in a Death Sentence for the convicted man. However, a death sentence pronounced by a trial court remains subject to the applicable legal and judicial process before it can be carried out. The case is now among the significant criminal matters in Durg because of the age of the victim, the nature of the allegations, the attempt to conceal evidence and the court's classification of the crime as a rarest-of-rare offence.

Verdict Brings Major Development in Durg Case

The Durg case has ended at the trial-court level with the conviction and death sentence of Somesh Yadav. The prosecution's case was built around witness testimony, medical findings and scientific evidence, including DNA analysis. The court found the evidence sufficient to convict the accused under the relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The case has also drawn attention to the role of forensic investigation in serious crimes involving children. Scientific evidence can help investigators establish links between suspects, victims and crime scenes, particularly when the circumstances of an offence make conventional evidence difficult to obtain. For Durg and the wider region, the judgment represents the latest legal development in a case that began with a family's search for a missing child and ended with a conviction for rape and murder.