KOCHI: The quantum of sentence for Asafak Alam of Bihar, found guilty for sexually abusing and murdering a minor girl in Aluva, has been pronounced. The court has sentenced him to death. The Ernakulam POCSO Court pronounced the sentence on Children’s Day. The prosecution was able to establish four charges punishable by death on the accused.

The Ernakulam POCSO Court judge K Soman pronounced the sentence. The girl got justice on children’s day. Another specialty is that the sentence was pronounced on the day the POCSO laws came into force in the country. The prosecution had argued that the crime committed by the accused was extremely rare. Out of the 16 charges against him, the quantum of sentence was pronounced on 13. The court had earlier informed that the punishment will be given only in 13 crimes because three crimes were repeated.

The shocking incident happened on July 28. A special team was formed to investigate the brutal rape and murder of the minor, daughter of a migrant couple in Aluva.

The charge sheet was filed in 30 days. The trial began on October 4. Asafaq Alam, a native of Bihar, is the sole accused in the case. Apart from various sections of the POCSO Act, 16 charges including murder, rape and kidnapping have been charged against Asafaq.

Asafaq also lived near the girl’s house. The girl, who was playing in front of the house was brutally raped after luring her and taking her behind the garbage dump in Aluva market and forcing her to drink alcohol. To destroy evidence, he strangled her to death with the dress she was wearing. He disfigured her face with a stone. He tied her in a sack and dumped the body in the garbage.

The accused was arrested on that day itself. The police investigated the case after collecting around 50 CCTV visuals and other scientific evidences. He had served jail term earlier also in a rape case.