Durg, September 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A special POCSO court in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district has sentenced a 24-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in April 2025.
Additional Sessions Judge of the Fast Track Special Court (POCSO) convicted Somesh Yadav under Section 6(1) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Sections 103(1) and 238(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 under the POCSO Act and Section 103(1) of the BNS, with an additional year of imprisonment in case of non-payment. Under Section 238(a) of the BNS, which deals with disappearance of evidence or furnishing false information, Yadav was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1,000, with an additional month’s imprisonment in default.
All sentences will run concurrently.
The court also directed that Rs 7 lakh be paid as compensation to the family of the deceased child under the state government’s compensation scheme.
The case dates back to April 2025, when the six-year-old girl was reported missing from the Mohan Nagar police station area in Durg. Her body was subsequently recovered from a car parked near her residence.
A medical examination confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted. Police conducted DNA tests on four suspects, with the samples matching those of Yadav, who was the child’s uncle. He was arrested and subsequently confessed to the crime during interrogation, following which a case of rape and murder was registered.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on medical, forensic and other evidence to establish the charges. The court found Yadav guilty on all counts and held that the nature of the crime warranted the maximum punishment prescribed under law.
Yadav remains in judicial custody. Any further legal remedies available to him will be dealt with in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
Authorities reiterated that crimes against children will continue to receive priority in investigation and prosecution.
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