Karnataka High Court Confirms Death Penalty in Vamanjoor Child Gangrape-Murder Case
The Karnataka High Court has delivered a landmark verdict, confirming the death penalty for three men convicted of the brutal gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Vamanjoor, near Mangaluru. A division bench comprising Justices H P Sandesh and Venkatesh Naik T upheld the 2024 verdict of a Mangaluru special court, dismissing all appeals filed by the convicts.
Court's Stern Observations on the Barbaric Crime
The bench made scathing observations, stating, "The accused persons, in a brutal manner, subjected the victim girl to continuous sexual acts one by one. This is nothing but a barbaric act." The court further emphasized that imposing a lesser sentence would convey a wrong message to society and potentially encourage such heinous acts. The judges noted that the crime "shocks the collective conscience" of society, making life imprisonment an inadequate punishment.
Details of the Convicts and the Horrific Incident
The three convicts—Jayban Adivasi and Mukesh from Madhya Pradesh, and Manish Thirki from Jharkhand—were workers at a tiles factory in Perari, Vamanjoor. A fourth accused, Seetha Ranthu Lohar Sirigenda, remains at large after jumping bail. The tragic incident occurred on November 20, 2021, when the victim, the daughter of fellow factory workers, was playing with her siblings.
The accused lured the child away with 'chikkies' (nutjaggery sweets) and promises of money to buy chocolates. They took her to a defunct brick kiln that lacked CCTV surveillance. After gang-raping the minor, the accused smothered and strangled her to death when she began to cry, subsequently hiding her body in a drainage pipe.
Legal Proceedings and Evidence
In their appeal, the convicts argued that the mere presence of CCTV footage was insufficient to establish guilt. However, Additional State Public Prosecutor Rashmi Jadhav successfully contended that the circumstantial evidence and corroborated witness statements formed a complete chain of guilt, leading to the dismissal of the appeals.
The court concluded with a firm directive, stating, "Such acts have to be curbed with iron hands," and ordered the three convicts to be hanged till death. The victim's identity has been protected in accordance with Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault.
