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Chandigarh court sentences Hira Lal to death for rape and murder of eight-year-old girl

Judge Yashika ruled the offence was ‘rarest of rare’ with the death sentence pending High Court confirmation

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“The rape of a minor girl child is nothing but a monstrous burial of her dignity in the darkness. It is a crime against the holy body of a girl child and the soul of the society,” the Chandigarh court remarked. (HT)
The Chandigarh court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on Tuesday. (Getty Images/Purestock)

Overview

  • The fast-track POCSO court found 40-year-old painter Hira Lal guilty of kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and murder under IPC sections 363, 366, 376(3), 302 and Section 6 of the POCSO Act
  • The victim was abducted from near her home in Hallomajra on January 19, 2024, and her body with multiple stab wounds and signs of sexual violence was discovered near Ram Darbar three days later
  • Police traced Hira Lal through CCTV footage carrying the girl’s belongings and recovered her slippers from his locked room before arresting him in Bihar after a seven-day, three-state manhunt
  • Judge Yashika described the crime as “extremely brutal, bestial and barbaric” and ordered ₹17 lakh compensation for the victim’s dependents along with a ₹10,000 fine
  • The sentence will be submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court for confirmation, and Hira Lal may appeal within 30 days under Article 115 of the Limitation Act