A special POCSO court in Chhattisgarh's Durg district has sentenced a 24-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of his six-year-old niece, bringing the case to a verdict around 17 months after the crime.

The Special Fast Track POCSO Court described the case as falling in the “rarest of rare” category. The verdict was delivered on September 10, 2026, in connection with the April 6, 2025 incident in the Mohan Nagar police station area.

The accused was convicted under Section 6(1) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for the sexual assault and murder. He was also sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment under Section 238(a) of the BNS for causing disappearance of evidence.

Six-Year-Old Went Missing During Kanya Bhoj

The incident took place on April 6, 2025, during Navratri, when the child had gone to a relative's house where preparations for Kanya Bhoj were underway.

The girl subsequently went missing, prompting her family to approach police. A search operation was launched in the Mohan Nagar area.

According to reports, the child was later found inside a vehicle parked near the locality and was taken to hospital. Doctors declared her dead. A post-mortem examination subsequently established that she had been sexually assaulted.

Police Investigation Focused on the Family

During the investigation, police examined people who had been present around the house and reconstructed the child's movements before she disappeared.

The accused, who was the girl's uncle, came under suspicion during the investigation.

Police subsequently arrested him and continued examining forensic and other evidence collected during the investigation.

The case attracted significant public anger in Durg after the child's death, while investigators worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the crime.

Scientific Evidence Strengthened the Case

Police used forensic evidence and other investigative material to establish the prosecution's case.

The investigation included examination of biological samples and other evidence connected with the crime scene. The prosecution relied on scientific evidence alongside witness and circumstantial evidence during the trial.

Reports said the police had constituted a special investigation team as part of the probe.

Despite some witnesses reportedly changing or retracting parts of their statements during the proceedings, investigators relied on the forensic evidence and other material presented before the court.

Court Calls It 'Rarest of Rare'

After examining the evidence, the Special POCSO Court convicted the accused and imposed the death penalty.

The court classified the offence as “rarest of rare,” the legal category in which Indian courts may impose capital punishment after considering the circumstances of the crime and the offender.

The court imposed a fine of ₹5,000 under each of the POCSO and murder provisions. A separate five-year rigorous imprisonment sentence and ₹1,000 fine were imposed for disappearance of evidence.

Death Sentence Still Needs High Court Confirmation

The death penalty announced by the trial court is not yet the final stage of the process.

Under the applicable legal procedure, a death sentence awarded by a sessions court must be confirmed by the High Court before it can be carried out. Reports on the verdict said the confirmation process will be taken up before the Chhattisgarh High Court in Bilaspur.

Therefore, while the Durg court has awarded the death sentence, its execution cannot follow solely on the basis of Thursday's trial-court verdict.

Verdict Comes 17 Months After Crime

The verdict came approximately 17 months after the April 2025 crime.

The case had drawn considerable attention in Durg because of the victim's age and the circumstances in which her body was recovered.

The court's decision now moves the case into the next stage of the judicial process, with confirmation of the death sentence by the High Court remaining necessary.