Aluva child murder case verdict on Children’s Day

Kochia special court to award punishment to Asafaq Alam, convicted of rape & murder of 5-yr-old girl, on Nov 14. Prosecution sought death sentence considering gravity of offence, antecedents & lack of scope for reformation. Defence argued for leniency due to young age & poor socio-economic background. Court to consider crime test, nature of crime & reports of jail & probationary officer to decide quantum of punishment. Parents of victim seek exemplary punishment.

A special court will award punishment to Asafaq Alam, the convict in the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in Aluva, on November 14, Children’s Day.

K. Soman, the special judge trying the case booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, had found Alam guilty of the 16 offences committed by him.

The prosecution case was that the accused raped and killed the girl on July 28, 2023. He had taken away the girl by offering her sweets.

G. Mohanraj, the special public prosecutor, canvassed for awarding death sentence to the accused considering the gravity of the offence, the antecedents of the accused, and the absence of scope for his reformation. The prosecution also pointed out that the accused had sexually molested a child earlier.

The defence counsel opposed the prosecution plea for capital punishment by highlighting the young age of the accused. The counsel also requested the court to consider the possibility of his reformation in its campaign for avoiding capital punishment. The counsel requested the court to consider the poor socio-economic background of the accused and show lenience while deciding on the quantum of punishment.

The court heard the parents of the child, who wanted the court to award exemplary punishment to the accused considering the impact the offence had created in society.

The court will apply a crime test to decide on the quantum of punishment where it will look into the factors like extent of planning for the commission of the crime, weapons used, and the ways in which the crime was carried out. It will also look into the nature of the crime and whether the criminal act belonged to the rarest of rare category, considering the prosecution plea for capital punishment. The reports of the superintendent of the jail in which the accused has been housed and the State probationary officer will also be considered by the court.