An Assam court has sentenced a man to death for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in a case dating back to 2023. The verdict was delivered by the Bilasipara Additional and District Court, where Special Judge Rana Dutta classified the crime as falling under the “rarest of rare” category. The convict, identified as Utpal Roy, was handed the capital punishment for murder. The court also imposed additional sentences and fines under different provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The judgment comes more than three years after the child was sexually assaulted and killed at Krishnakali Tea Estate in Assam’s Dhubri district.

Court Finds Crime Eligible for Capital Punishment

According to the case details provided in the report, the incident took place on September 4, 2023. Roy was accused of luring the child with the promise of chocolate before sexually assaulting her and subsequently killing her. The incident led to a police case involving rape, murder and the disappearance of evidence. Investigators also invoked Section 6 of the POCSO Act, which deals with punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault against a child. After investigating the case, police arrested Roy and later submitted the chargesheet in March 2024. The case then proceeded through the court system before the Bilasipara court delivered its final judgment.

Multiple Sentences and Financial Penalties

The death sentence was imposed specifically for the murder of the child. Along with capital punishment, the court directed Roy to pay a fine of Rs 10,000. In case of non-payment, he will have to undergo six months of simple imprisonment. The court also imposed a five-year rigorous imprisonment sentence and a fine of Rs 4,000 for causing the disappearance of evidence and providing false information intended to protect an offender. For aggravated penetrative sexual assault against a child, the convict was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000. The court ordered that all the sentences would run concurrently. This means that the separate prison terms will not be served one after another, while the capital punishment remains the sentence imposed for the murder conviction.

Case Dates Back to September 2023

The case began after the four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and killed at Krishnakali Tea Estate in Dhubri district. The investigation focused on allegations that the child had been lured away with the promise of receiving chocolate. She was then sexually assaulted before being killed, according to the case details cited in the report. The police registered a case covering the allegations of sexual assault, murder and attempts to remove evidence connected with the crime. The inclusion of the POCSO provisions reflected the fact that the victim was a child and that the allegations involved aggravated sexual assault.

Chargesheet Filed in March 2024

Following the arrest of Utpal Roy, investigators continued gathering evidence before filing the chargesheet in March 2024. The subsequent court proceedings examined the allegations and evidence connected with the case. After more than three years since the crime, the court finally pronounced its judgment. The court’s decision to impose the death penalty was based on its classification of the crime as a “rarest of rare” case. The ruling brings a major stage of the criminal proceedings to an end, although a death sentence under Indian law remains subject to the applicable judicial process before it can be carried out.

POCSO Law Played a Key Role

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act provides a specific legal framework for dealing with sexual offences against children in India. In this case, Section 6 of the law was included in the charges because the allegations involved aggravated penetrative sexual assault against a child. The court separately awarded a 20-year prison sentence for that offence, along with a fine of Rs 50,000. The case therefore involved multiple serious charges, including sexual assault, murder and the disappearance of evidence.

Three Years After the Crime

The verdict was delivered roughly three years after the September 2023 incident. The long period between the crime and the final judgment reflects the time taken for investigation, the filing of the chargesheet and subsequent court proceedings. For the victim’s family, the court ruling represents the latest major development in a case that began with the death of a four-year-old child. The court has now determined the punishment for the convicted accused, including the death sentence for murder and additional penalties for the other offences.

What the Verdict Means

The Bilasipara court’s decision establishes the punishment imposed on Utpal Roy following his conviction in the case. The death sentence was awarded for murder, while separate imprisonment terms and fines were imposed for the other offences. The court described the crime as “rarest of rare”, a classification used in Indian death penalty cases when courts determine that capital punishment is warranted under the applicable legal standard. The ruling also highlights the application of the Assam rape murder case provisions alongside the POCSO framework in a case involving a child victim. The case is now at the stage where the legal process relating to the death sentence will continue according to Indian law.

Assam Child Crime Case and Court Verdict

The case concerns the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl at Krishnakali Tea Estate in Assam’s Dhubri district in September 2023. Utpal Roy was arrested after the incident, and police filed the chargesheet in March 2024. The Bilasipara Additional and District Court later convicted Roy and sentenced him to death for murder. Additional prison terms and fines were imposed for aggravated penetrative sexual assault and for causing the disappearance of evidence and providing false information. The case is relevant to searches concerning Assam rape murder case, POCSO Act, child sexual assault cases and death penalty judgments in India.

What was the Assam case about?

The case involved the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl at Krishnakali Tea Estate in Dhubri district in September 2023.

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Who was sentenced to death?

The Bilasipara Additional and District Court sentenced Utpal Roy to death for the murder of the child.

Why was the death penalty awarded?

Special Judge Rana Dutta described the crime as a “rarest of rare” case and awarded capital punishment for the murder.

What other punishment did the court impose?

Roy received 20 years of imprisonment and a Rs 50,000 fine for aggravated penetrative sexual assault against a child. He also received five years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 4,000 fine for causing disappearance of evidence and giving false information.

When did police file the chargesheet?

Police filed the chargesheet in March 2024 after Roy was arrested in connection with the case.

Which child protection law was involved?

The case included provisions of the POCSO Act, including Section 6 concerning aggravated penetrative sexual assault against a child.