Assam Court Awards Death Penalty to Man for Rape, Murder of 4-Year-Old Girl

Dhubri, Assam: An Additional District and Sessions Court in Bilasipara has awarded the death penalty to a man convicted of the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Chapar, Dhubri district, in 2023.

The verdict was delivered on Tuesday, nearly three years after the child was killed at Krishnakali Tea Estate in Chapar.

According to reports, the four-year-old girl had gone missing from her home in September 2023. Her family subsequently lodged a complaint with Chapar Police, following which a search operation was launched across the tea estate and adjoining areas.

The investigation led to the arrest of the accused, Utpal Roy, who was subsequently prosecuted in connection with the case.

After examining the evidence presented during the trial, the Bilasipara court convicted Roy in the case and imposed the death sentence, treating the offence as one warranting the severest punishment.

The verdict brings a significant development to a case that had caused widespread concern in the area following the disappearance and subsequent death of the child.

The case was prosecuted under provisions relating to rape, murder and offences against children under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court’s decision comes nearly three years after the incident and marks the conclusion of the trial at the sessions court level.