The North News
Chandigarh, June 3
A district court on Tuesday sentenced Heera Lal, alias Guddu, to death for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in a village in the city. Lal, a neighbour of the victim, was convicted after an 18-month trial in a case that has sparked renewed concerns over child safety in the region. The incident took place on January 19, 2024, when the girl went to a nearby shop and did not return home. After her family reported her missing, the police launched a search operation. During the investigation, officers searched a house in the neighbourhood, where they recovered a bloodstained quilt and a knife. The suspect had already fled the area. Two days later, the girl’s body was found in a forested area near Ram Darbar. Police used CCTV footage from the vicinity to identify and apprehend Lal.
The Police said that the accused has confessed to kidnapping the girl, sexually assaulting her, and murdering her by smashing her head against a wall. He was charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape and murder, as well as provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court, deeming the case “rarest of rare,” awarded capital punishment.
