‘Rarest of rare’: Gujarat court sentences man to death for murder of eight-year-old girl

Jamnagar: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Gujarat’s Jamnagar district has sentenced a man to death for the murder of an eight-year-old girl who was subjected to prolonged physical abuse, including burns inflicted with matchsticks and repeated assaults with an iron pestle last year.

The court classified the case as one of the “rarest of the rare” after considering the evidence presented during the trial and the gravity of the crime.

The accused, Nitin Manek, a resident of Sikka in Jamnagar district, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

He was also sentenced to life imprisonment under the POCSO Act and fined Rs 50,000, according to officials.

The incident took place in Sikka in 2025. The crime initially went undetected, following which the police launched an investigation into the case.

The investigation identified Manek as the accused, and he was subsequently arrested. The police collected scientific, technical and documentary evidence and filed a chargesheet before the court within 35 days of the incident.

During the trial, the public prosecutor examined 23 witnesses and presented around 95 documentary pieces of evidence before the POCSO court.

After considering the evidence and the circumstances of the crime, the court handed down the death sentence for murder, along with the additional punishment under the POCSO Act.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi congratulated the police team and the judiciary following the verdict.

"The Gujarat government, under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women and girls," officials said.

The verdict follows the investigation and prosecution of a case involving the murder of a minor girl and the filing of a chargesheet within days of the incident.

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