Verdict in rape and murder of five-year-old girl in Aluva to be pronounced tomorrow

KOCHI: The verdict in the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in Aluva will be pronounced tomorrow. The Ernakulam POCSO Court has completed the trial in 26 days and is delivering the verdict quickly. Asafaq Alam, a native of Bihar, has been charged with 16 charges including rape.

The incident that shocked Kerala happened on July 28. A special team was formed to investigate the brutal rape and murder of the minor girl, daughter of migrant couple in Aluva. The charge sheet was filed in 30 days. The trial began on October 4. Asfaq Alam, a native of Bihar, is the only accused in the case. Apart from various sections of the POCSO Act, 16 charges including murder, rape and kidnapping have been charged against Asfaq. A maximum penalty of death will be obtained in three charges.

Asafak also lived near the child's house. The child who was playing in front of the house was brutally raped after luring her by buying juice and taking her behind the garbage dump in Aluva market and forcing her to drink alcohol. To destroy the evidence, he used the cloth worn by the girl to strangle her to death. Her face was disfigured after hitting with a stone. She was tied in a sack and covered in leaves. The accused was arrested that day itself. The police investigation collected around 50 CCTV footages and other scientific evidence. The accused had served jail term in rape case earlier. Ernakulam POCSO court will pronounce their verdict after checking all this.