Within a month of arrest, Gujarat court convicts a man of rape and murder of a juvenile girl

The POCSO court in Gujarat convicted a 35-year-old migrant worker on Monday for raping and murdering a two-and-a-half-year-old girl 28 days after his arrest, and the verdict is expected on Tuesday, according to the prosecution.

The court found Guddu Yadav guilty of kidnapping, rape, and murder charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

PS Kala, a special POCSO court judge, found Yadav guilty after hearing both sides' arguments. The court will decide on the severity of the punishment on Tuesday.

On the last day of the hearing, public prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala urged capital sentence for the defendant, who was from Bihar and lived with his wife and two children in a factory in Surat's Pandesara neighbourhood.

Yadav's counsel pleaded for mercy, arguing that the penalty would jeopardise the future of his children.

According to the prosecution, Yadav, who lives in the Pandesara region, abducted, sexually raped, and then smothered to death a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter of a migrant worker couple from Bihar on the night of November 4.

Her body was discovered on November 7 outside a factory about a kilometre from her home.

On November 9, police apprehended Yadav after reviewing multiple CCTV video and gathering information from informants and residents.

The Pandesara police had presented a charge sheet in seven days to ensure that justice was served as soon as possible. The testimony of 43 witnesses was recorded by the court.