Death sentence for rapist and murderer of a minor girl

Bhavnagar, Gujarat, Oct 18 (UNI) A local court today awarded death sentence to a 50-year-old man, after finding him guilty of raping and killing a minor girl in Bhavnagar in 2003.

Joint Additional Sessions Judge Shailesh J Sheth held Chhagan Laxmanbhai Makwana guilty of raping and killing a minor girl and sentenced him to death.

Chhagan, who is accused in five other rape cases, had raped a 7-year-old girl on January 6, 2003.

While pronouncing the judgement, Judge Sheth said that the accused has been sentenced to death instead of life imprisonment as such a person can be a possible threat to society after he is released from jail on completion of his sentence.

Chhagan, a resident of Amar society in Kumbharwada locality of the city, was arrested by the then Bhavnagar District Superintendent of Police Hashmukh Patel on May 3, 2005.

During the court proceedings, the judge examined eight witnesses, eight evidence and 27 documented evidence before pronouncing his judgement.

UNI