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Chandini was a five-year-old student who migrated from the state of Bihar to the state of Kerala in India.[1] She lived with her parents in a rented flat in Choornikkara village, Aluva and was a class one student at the Thaikkattukara UP school. Chandini went missing around 3:30 pm on 28 July 2023. Her body was found abandoned in a sack 21 hours later near the Aluva market area. After the post-mortem, the police confirmed that she was strangled to death after being sexually assaulted.[2] On 4 November 2023, Special POCSO court judge convicted Ashfaq Alam, a migrant labourer, for raping and killing Chandini.[3] He was sentenced to death on 14 November 2023.[4]
| Date | 28 July 2023 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Aluva market, |
| Location | Aluva, Kerala, India |
| Cause | Sexual assault and strangled to death |
| First reporter | Unnamed person |
| Outcome | Death of Chandini |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Arrests | 1 |
| Accused | Ashfaq Aslam |
| Convicted | 4 November 2023 |
| Charges | 13 including murder and POCSO |
| Verdict | 14 November 2023 |
| Sentence | Capital punishment |
Kidnapping and killing
editOn 28 July 2023, Chandini was allegedly abducted by Ashfaq Aslam, a native of Assam.[5] They were in the Aluva market around 3:30 pm and he walked behind her. Seeing him and the girl, some people were suspicious, but the accused replied that it was his child. The accused then allegedly came to a secluded place behind the market, sexually assaulted Chandini, and killed her around 5:30 pm.[6] The inquest revealed that there was a wound on her genitals. The accused had allegedly strangled her with her own clothes, and hit her face with a stone. After confirming her death, he allegedly put plastic covers and sacks over her body.[7]
Investigation
editAfter CCTV footage showed Chandini accompanying Aslam to the neighbouring bus stop, the police detained him,. He had moved in to live in the floor above Chandini's home two days earlier. The girl remained missing even after police tracked down Aslam near Thottakkattukara in Aluva around 10.45 pm.[8] He was in an intoxicated state, the police claimed, making it impossible to get information out of him. In the morning, Aluva market employees told the police that they had seen a man with a child there, the night before. Aslam initially told the police that he had given the child to a man named Zakir, after becoming sober the next morning.[9] However, later he admitted to the crime. The body was then discovered on the banks of the Periyar river in the market area about noon, where trash is deposited behind the market. Later, Chandini's body was identified by her fatherIn this case. 41 witnesses in all were questioned. Ashfaq was tested with an interpreter present. Within 30 days, the police completed their investigation and submitted the chargesheet to the court.[10]
Trial and verdict
editThe trial, which started on October 4, was completed in 26 days. A ruling issued on 4 November 2023, the judge found that the accused Ashfaq Alam is guilty of sixteen counts under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, and the Indian Penal Code. Sixteen charges were brought against him, including murder, kidnapping, rape, and unnatural sex.[11] The Ernakulam POCSO court pronounced the verdict of the case on 14 November 2023. The accused Ashfaq Alam was awarded capital punishment by judge K. Soman.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Child abducted from Aluva by migrant labourer found murdered - The New Indian Express". www.newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Body of missing girl in Aluva found abandoned in a sack near market area". The Hindu. 29 July 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Kerala POCSO court convicts accused in sensational Aluva minor rape, murder case". Financialexpress. 4 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Aluva child rape case: Lone accused Ashfaq Alam sentenced to death". OnManorama. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Aluva girl gets tearful farewell". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ "'Afsaq brought child to Aluva market at 3pm, claimed she was his daughter,' says eyewitness". www.onmanorama.com. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Chandini subjected to torture, murdered where she was found: Police". English.Mathrubhumi. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Aluva Kidnap & Murder Case: Will go with further proceedings after postmortem report, say Police | City - Times of India Videos". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ Daily, Keralakaumudi. "Aluva case: Ashfaq Alam's sentence to be pronounced today, prosecution demands maximum sentence". Keralakaumudi Daily. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ Daily, Keralakaumudi. "Five-year-old girl in Aluva killed after sexual assault, post-mortem report confirms". Keralakaumudi Daily. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ Bureau, The Hindu (14 November 2023). "Rape and murder of girl in Aluva: parents demand capital punishment for accused just hours before sentencing". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Aluva child murder case: Court awards capital punishment to Ashfaq Alam". English.Mathrubhumi. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.