Kolkata Man Found Guilty of Assaulting Infant Girl, Sentencing Scheduled
Click to start listening
Synopsis
In Kolkata, a court has convicted Rajiv Ghosh for the rape of a seven-month-old girl. The sentencing will be announced soon, with calls for capital punishment amid rising concerns over child safety in West Bengal.
Key Takeaways
- Conviction of Rajiv Ghosh for raping a minor.
- Incident occurred in November 2024 in Kolkata.
- Victim was only seven months old.
- Public prosecutor seeks death penalty.
- Rising cases of child sexual assault in West Bengal.
Kolkata, Feb 17 (NationPress) A specialized court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act in Kolkata has on Monday found the accused guilty in the heinous case of assaulting a seven-month-old girl back in November of the previous year.
The judge is set to announce the sentence for Rajiv Ghosh, aged 34, on Tuesday, with the public prosecutor advocating for the death penalty.
This conviction comes just three months after the crime, which occurred on November 30, 2024. Authorities initiated an investigation promptly and submitted the charge sheet within 26 days post-incident.
The young victim was reported missing from a roadside shelter in the Burtolla district of north Kolkata. The girl's parents quickly alerted law enforcement, leading to her recovery from a nearby footpath.
A medical examination validated the assault allegations. Utilizing CCTV footage, police were able to identify Ghosh, who was apprehended in Gopiballavpur, Jhargram district, on December 4 of the previous year. Investigations revealed that he had stealthily abducted the sleeping child from the shelter and subsequently assaulted her.
He faces charges under Section 137 (2) (punishment for kidnapping), Section 65 (2) (punishment for rape under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), and Section 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Pocso Act, 2012.
In recent months, West Bengal has garnered negative attention due to various reported incidents of sexual assault, including cases involving minors.
One notable case was the tragic rape and murder of a junior doctor from the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in August of last year.
However, in this disturbing instance in Burtolla, the community has been left in disbelief, given that the victim was only seven months old.
