Tripura: Man gets death penalty for raping and killing 5-year-old girl

Agartala, Jun 30: A court in Tripura's Khowai district sentenced a 22-year-old man to death for raping and killing a five-year-old girl in February last year.

District and Sessions Judge Sankari Das on Wednesday sentenced Kali Kumar Tripura alias Abhijit of Nishan Chandra Para to death considering the gravity of the crime. The court recorded the statements of altogether 35 witnesses.

The five-year-old girl had gone missing from her home at Nishan Chandra Para on February 22, 2021. Her father had lodged a complaint with the Teliamura police station. Based on the complaint, the police swung into action and detained Kali Kumar Tripura, a neighbour of the child.

"In course of interrogation, Kali broke down and confessed that he had committed the crime", said SP, Khowai, Bhanupada Chakraborty on Thursday. On the following day, police took the accused to a nearby jungle and recovered the body of the child.

The SP said the "Investigating Officer (IO), Bideshwar Sinha, after investigating the case had submitted a charge-sheet against Kali Kumar Tripura before the trial court within 28 days of the crime."

"The convicted has been taken to Khowai sub-jail for initiating the necessary procedure. Since the convicted is facing death penalty, this will go to the high court for approval. If the high court upholds the verdict, the jail authority will take steps as per the law", the SP said.

PTI