The POCSO Fast Track Court here is set to pronounce its verdict on May 5 in the horrific rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl from Muthiyalpet, a case that shocked the Union Territory and the country in March 2024.
The girl went missing on March 2, 2024, while playing near her house. Her body was recovered three days later, wrapped in a sack and dumped in a sewage canal close to her residence. Police investigation revealed that Karunas (20), a resident of the same locality, had sexually assaulted and murdered the child while under the influence of ganja. Vivekanandan (56), another local, was named as an accomplice.
The gruesome crime triggered widespread outrage and protests, with thousands participating in the girl’s funeral procession, demanding swift justice. Both accused were arrested soon after the incident.
During the trial, Vivekanandan died by suicide inside the Kalapet prison. The charges against him were subsequently dropped. Karunas, lodged in the Central Jail, faced trial alone.
The case was heard by the Puducherry POCSO Fast Track Court. The prosecution submitted 37 pieces of evidence, including medical and forensic reports, along with 81 documents. As many as 54 witnesses were examined.
Special Public Prosecutor Pachaiyappan, in his 48-page written arguments, detailed the sequence of events:
Karunas allegedly took the girl to Vivekanandan’s secluded house, sexually assaulted her, strangled her to death, wrapped the body in a sack, and disposed of it in the sewage canal. He described the crime as brutal, premeditated, and one that shook the collective conscience of society.
“The post-mortem report confirms the extreme brutality inflicted on the child. This falls under the category of the rarest of rare cases,” the prosecutor argued, seeking the maximum punishment of death for Karunas under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act.
Advocate Praveen, appearing for the victim’s family, echoed the demand for the harshest penalty.
On Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge (POCSO Court) Sumathi found Karunas guilty under Section 366 (kidnapping for unlawful sexual acts), Section 342 (wrongful confinement), Section 302 (murder), Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), and Section 6 of the POCSO Act.
The court will hear final arguments from both sides on May 5 before pronouncing the quantum of sentence.
Heavy police security, including female commandos, was deployed in and around the court premises during the proceedings.
