A Mumbai court convicted a 24-year-old transgender person to death on Tuesday, February 27, for the 2021 kidnapping, rape, and murder of a three-month-old girl in the Cuffe Parade neighbourhood of Mumbai. The convict’s offence was described by the court as the rarest of the rare, calling it brutal and inhumane. The ruling was made by Aditee Kadam, a special judge of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court.
“Life sentence is the rule, and death sentence is an exception, to be awarded in the rarest of rare cases,” Special Judge Aditee Kadam declared when handing down her decision. This crime reeks of perversity, depravity, and the dehumanisation of a little girl. The crime was perpetrated in a savage and inhumane manner, making it the “rarest of rare cases.” “The accused had planned to commit the crime and executed it meticulously,” the speaker continued.
The investigation states that the accused went to see the girl’s family and requested a present to bless the newborn kid, which included a saree, a coconut, and Rs 1,100. The accused justified this request by stating that it is customary for some groups within the transgender community. The family declined to donate anything, though, as the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from being able to do so. After that, the accused started to feel animosity towards the family. On July 8, 2021, while her family was asleep, the accused later took the infant. She was raped and drowned in a nearby creek. One of the co-accused assisted him. The judge cleared the co-accused of all charges.
Based on the accused’s information, the child’s remains were found the next morning in a marshy area near a creek near their home. A witness stated in his testimony that he saw the baby around two in the morning while fishing at Sassoon Dock. The mother of the girl complained. According to her evidence, the accused had been at the residence at approximately 8 p.m., requesting bakshish, or gifts, in exchange for a 9-yard saree, a coconut, and 1,100 for the birth of a daughter. We gave him nothing. He gave us a a warning as he was departing, saying that in five and six days he would do something that would make him famous.
The accused’s attorney contended that his client is a naive transgender individual who depends on donations from the public and has no criminal record. The accused’s age, character, background, and willingness to change are all indicators of his nature, which the attorney pleaded with the court to take into account when determining the appropriate sentence.
“It is a crime that would send a chill down the spine of every parent of a girl child, especially in a poor neighbourhood,” the court remarked. A developing infant or girl kid is brutally and shockingly killed, irreversibly damaging the social fabric, demonstrating the perversity in the accused’s psyche.
The accused killed a three-month-old baby, and even her family had no history of animosity towards him, the court said. The accused did not provoke the mother or father to take the life of the child or to carry out such a horrific crime with her.
The victim’s father conveyed his delight with the prompt court proceedings and the penalty imposed on the guilty party. “We are satisfied with the decision, and the trial proceeded quickly,” he stated. Justice has been served. RV Tiwari, the public prosecutor, made an argument on the complainants’ behalf.
