Five sentenced to death for gangrape, triple murder in Chhattisgarh

In a landmark judgment, a fast-track court in Korba district, Chhattisgarh, has sentenced five men to death for the gangrape and murder of a 16-year-old girl, as well as the killing of her father and 4-year-old niece in 2021. A sixth accused was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Fast Track Special Court (FTSC) handed down the death penalty to Santram Majhwar (49), Abdul Jabbar (34), Anil Kumar Sarthi (24), Pardeshi Ram (39), and Anand Ram Panika (29). They were convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder) and 376(2)G (gangrape), as well as provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The sixth accused, Umashankar Yadav (26), received a life sentence, according to special public prosecutor Sunil Kumar Mishra.

The court described the crime as "inhuman, heinous, brutal, and cowardly," emphasizing that it shocked the collective conscience of society. The judgment, delivered on January 15, stated that the death penalty was warranted due to the extreme nature of the crime.

The case dates back to January 29, 2021, when the teenage girl was raped and killed near Gadhuproda village under Lemru police station. Her father and 4-year-old niece, who were accompanying her, were also murdered. The victims, from the Pahadi Korwa tribal community—a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)—had been employed by Majhwar as cattle grazers.

The investigation revealed that Majhwar had been pressuring the girl to become his second wife. When she and her family resisted, Majhwar and his associates committed the horrific crime. Their arrest followed a missing persons report filed by the deceased man's son.

The court’s judgment underscored the brutality of the crime, stating that the accused had targeted innocent and vulnerable victims to satisfy their lust, leaving no option but to impose the death penalty.