16 offences, may be awarded death penalty; court to pronounce verdict in rape and murder of five-year-old girl in Aluva

KOCHI: The Ernakulam POCSO court will pronounce its verdict on the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in Aluva today. The Ernakulam POCSO Court completed the trial in just 26 days and is delivering the verdict quickly. Bihar native Ashfaq Alam has been charged with 16 offences, including rape.

The incident that shocked Kerala took place on July 28. A special team was formed to investigate the brutal rape and murder of the five-year-old girl, the daughter of migrant workers in Aluva. The charge sheet was submitted within 30 days. The trial started on October 4. Ashfaq Alam 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 Ashfaq. A maximum penalty of death will be obtained in three charges.

Ashfaq had been living near the house where the child lived. The girl was playing in front of her house when the accused lured her by buying her juice and took her to the garbage dump behind the Aluva market. He then sexually assaulted her after forcefully making her drink liquor. To destroy the evidence, he used the cloth worn by the girl to strangle her to death. He disfigured the girl's face by hitting her with a stone. He then put the body in a sack and covered it with dry leaves. The accused was arrested that day itself. The police conducted the investigation by collecting nearly 50 CCTV footage and scientific evidence.