Chottanikkara case: Death for prime accused in girl rape-murder

Kochi: A special court here on Monday sentenced to death the prime accused in the murder of LKG student Aksa in Chottanikkara in 2013 while awarding life terms to two others, including her mother.

Additional District and Sessions Judge K. T. Nisar Ahmed awarded the capital punishment to Ranjith, a native of Meenampara in Kolenchery, after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting the girl before murdering.

Rani, the second accused and mother of the infant victim, and third accused...Basil were awarded rigorous life imprisonment after the court found them guilty of destruction of evidence to save the accused and also for criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death. "She is the mother of the deceased child. She had conspired with other accused to eliminate her own four-and-half-year old daughter. She is a shame to the entire womanhood. She is not even entitled to be called as a mother," the court observed. 

Aksa was murdered in October 2013 at their rented house in Chottanikkara. The incident came to light after Rani approached the police next morning to report that her child was missing. During the interrogation, she admitted that the girl was killed and her body buried at a work site at Arakkunnam near Piravom.  She had divorced from her husband and was living with the child and Basil at Ambadimala. Acting on a direction from Rejith, Basil had been residing with Rani on the pretext of being her brother.  They found the girl to be a hindrance to their illicit relationship and decided to murder her. Earlier, the special court considering the atrocities against women and children also sentenced the first accused to rigorous life imprisonment for seven years and also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 120 (B) of the IPC.  Further, he has also been awarded another term of seven years and a fine of Rs 25,000 under Section 9 (m) of the Pocso Act for sexually assaulting the girl.