In a landmark ruling, a special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Alipore sentenced 32-year-old Alok Kumar to death on Thursday for the brutal kidnapping, rape, and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Tiljala, Kolkata. The court deemed the crime to be one of the “rarest of rare,” calling for the severest punishment.
Gruesome Crime in Tiljala
The case dates back to March 2023, when the child, who lived with her family in a multi-storey building in Tiljala, stepped out of her home early in the morning to run errands. She was instructed by her mother to fetch a packet of milk and dispose of a garbage bag in the local bin. When she did not return after three hours, her family reported her missing at the Tiljala police station.
Following an extensive search, the body of the girl was found hidden in a gunny bag behind a cooking gas cylinder in Alok Kumar’s apartment, located in the same building. Kumar, who had even joined in the neighborhood’s search efforts for the missing child, was arrested soon after the gruesome discovery.
Investigation Uncovers Shocking Details
Investigators revealed chilling details about the crime. Kumar had lured the child into his Tiljala flat, gagged her, tied her hands, and sexually assaulted her. To ensure that no one heard the girl’s cries for help, he had turned up the volume of his radio. The child’s body bore more than 26 wounds, with the head reportedly struck with a hammer. Despite the girl’s desperate attempts to free herself, including biting Kumar’s hand, she was overpowered and murdered.
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Special POCSO Court Judge Sudipto Bhattacharya remarked, “The victim was… not in a position to defend herself,” while delivering the verdict.
Violent Protests Follow the Crime
The murder triggered outrage across Tiljala and nearby areas, including Park Circus, as violent protests erupted following the discovery of the child’s body. Protesters torched cars, vandalized a police station, disrupted traffic, and caused disturbances that even affected railway services.
On Thursday, the special POCSO court found Alok Kumar guilty of kidnapping, rape, and murder, as well as violations under the Pocso Act. Public prosecutor Harshil Sen detailed the brutality of the crime in court, describing how the child’s hands were tied, her mouth gagged, and her body showed signs of a brutal struggle.
“The child made desperate attempts to free herself and bit the accused in the hand. But she was overpowered… The child was brutally murdered,” Sen told the court.
Given the horrific nature of the crime, the judge pronounced the death penalty, stating that this was indeed one of the rarest of rare cases deserving of capital punishment.
