Death for the Devil: Kolkata Court Punishes Infant Rapist with Maximum Sentence

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a horrific incident last November in Kolkata, a 34-year-old man, Rajiv Ghosh, raped a seven-month-old baby girl. He was convicted on Monday by the Bankshall Court for kidnapping, rape and attempted murder. On Tuesday, the court sentenced him to death, classifying the crime as "rarest of rare." The Special Public Prosecutor highlighted the severity of the crime, noting the victim's critical condition in the ICU, where she has undergone multiple surgeries and faces a bleak future even if she survives. The baby was found by passersby in north Kolkata, bleeding and crying. Medical examination confirmed the rape.

Ghosh abducted the infant from a footpath where she was sleeping with her parents, raped and tortured her for half an hour and then abandoned her near a temple. He was apprehended a few days later in Jhargram district. Police used technology and his distinctive limp to identify him. The prosecution presented 24 witnesses, including a doctor who testified to the extreme nature of the injuries stating the baby's perineal area was completely torn and that she would likely never live a normal life. Judge Indila Mukherjee convicted Ghosh under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act, some of which carry the death penalty. The prosecutor stated that the court felt the crime was so heinous that Ghosh forfeited his right to live.