THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Ranchi, July 21: The Jharkhand High Court has commuted the death sentence of accused Rohit Rai in the rape and murder case of a three-year-old girl to life imprisonment.
This decision came after a hearing on Friday on a petition filed by the state government to uphold the death penalty. A division bench headed by Justice Rangon Mukhopadhyay made this significant decision, modifying the trial court’s order.
Also Read- PM Modi applauds parties for united stand on Pahalgam attack
Special Public Prosecutor Vineet Kumar Vashistha, arguing on behalf of the state government, presented several arguments to retain the death penalty. The court, after considering these arguments, converted the death sentence to life imprisonment.
Accused Challenged Dumka Court’s Decision in High Court
The Dumka Civil Court, after hearing the case, had sentenced Rohit Rai, a resident of Saraiyahat, to death. While pronouncing the sentence, the court had stated that the brutality inflicted upon the three-year-old innocent child was a heinous and inhumane crime, for which the death penalty was appropriate. Rohit Rai had challenged the Dumka Civil Court’s decision in the High Court.
Child Raped and Murdered Eight Years Ago
On January 1, 2017, a child was raped and murdered in the Saraiyahat area of Dumka. According to the First Information Report (FIR), Rohit, a resident of Jabijor village in Saraiyahat, took the three-year-old girl from her home on the pretext of buying her chocolates. He then raped the child and subsequently strangled her to death. To destroy evidence, he also hid the body.
Also Read- Fresh low-pressure area brewing over Jharkhand
Police arrested Rohit on January 3, 2017, from Shyam Bazar in Bihar. The child’s body was recovered from a field near the village based on Rohit’s confession. During the trial, all charges against Rohit were proven true, after which the court found him guilty and sentenced him to death.
