Youth gets lifer for killing seven year old girl

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 21 (UNI) A 25-year-old youth was today sentenced to life imprisonment for raping and killing a seven-year-old girl here.

A Sessions Court sentenced Sebastian to life imprisonmet for raping and killing Salini, a local girl, in the bell tower of St Thomas Church at Poonthura on December 25, 2001.

The girl was found strangulated and there were no eyewitnesses to the incident.

However, the police relied on scientific and circumstantial evidence to prosecute the accused.

Though the case came up before the Sessions Court in 2003, the accused was let off on the grounds that the prosecution could not prove the charges against him.

However, the Government moved the High Court against the verdict and the higher court ordered a re-trial.

UNI PN1845