State Of Haryana vs Anand Singh

Headnote AI-drafted · Reviewed and approved

The Sessions Court convicted Anand Singh for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl ('Laadli') and sentenced him to death under Section 302 IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, along with rigorous imprisonment for seven years each under Sections 363 and 201 IPC. The trial court made a reference to the High Court under Section 366 CrPC for confirmation of the death sentence, while the convict also filed a criminal appeal under Section 374(2) CrPC challenging his conviction and sentence.

The facts established that on May 24, 2021, the convict, aged 27, took advantage of the victim's parents' absence for work and abducted the child from a tile plant in Palwal, Haryana. He took her to an isolated agricultural field where he brutally raped her at both orifices, throttled her to death, and concealed her dead body in a pit. The convict was arrested the next day and led the police to the concealed body pursuant to a disclosure statement. Scientific and forensic evidence including crime scene inspection, photographs, and medical examination corroborated the prosecution's case.

The High Court took up both the murder reference (MRC-6-2023) and the criminal appeal (CRA-D-1055-2023) together for consideration. The case involves examination of whether the offences fall within the 'rarest of rare' category warranting confirmation of the capital punishment awarded by the Sessions Court, and assessment of the entire evidence on record including the disclosure statement, recovery of the dead body, forensic evidence, and medical findings.

Catchwords: death sentence confirmation · murder reference · rape and murder of minor · POCSO · rarest of rare · kidnapping · concealment of evidence · child victim · capital punishment · disclosure statement · forensic evidence · SC/ST Act