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To U.S. Death Row Inmates, Today's Election is a Matter of Life or Death

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You don't have to tell Daniel Troya and the 40 other denizens of federal death row locked in shed-sized solitary cells for 23 hours a day, every day, that elections have consequences. To them, from inside the U.S. government's only death row located in Terre Haute, Indiana, Tuesday's election is quite literally a matter of life and death: If Kamala Harris wins, they live; if Donald Trump wins, they die. "He's gonna kill everyone here that he can," Troya, 41, said in an email from behind bars. "That's as easy to predict as the sun rising."
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India: Death penalty for man who raped and killed 3-year-old girl

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Additional Sessions Judge PS Kala convicted Pandey under IPC sections 302, 366, 376 (a)(b), 377,201, POCSO Act 3, 5, 6 for his alleged involvement in the rape-cum-murder of the minor girl.

The Surat District Court on Wednesday awarded death penalty to a 20-year-old man for raping and murdering a three-and-half-year-old girl in Surat in October 2018. The accused, Anil Pandey from Bihar, is lodged in Surat sub jail.

Additional Sessions Judge PS Kala convicted Pandey under IPC sections 302, 366, 376 (a)(b), 377,201, POCSO Act 3, 5, 6 for his alleged involvement in the rape-cum-murder of the minor girl.

The parents of victim girl who are migrant labourers were present in the court when the judge pronounced the verdict. Her mother said, “We are happy with the judgement as it will set an example in the society… nobody will dare commit such a crime in the future. We are thankful to the police and public prosecutor.”

The incident took place on October 14, 2018, when the minor girl went missing. The parents lodged a complaint with the Surat police and on next day, police recovered her body packed in a gunny bag. 

Police said that after raping and murdering the child, the accused packed her body, kept it in the room and slept. The next day he left for his hometown in Bihar.

Pandey was arrested from Kukudha village in Buxar district in Bihar. After remand, he was sent to judicial custody at Surat district Central jail.

Treating the case as a heinous crime, Surat police commissioner Satish Sharma formed a special team under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of police, Vidhi Choudhari. The team took help of two retired police officers, Siraj Zabba and AM Munshi, for preparing the papers in the case.

The chargesheet, running to over 440 pages, including CCTV footages, statements of 71 witnesses, FSL reports and medical evidence, was submitted on November 4. The court examined 38 witnesses out of 71 witnesses mentioned in the charge sheet.

The state government appointed special public prosecutor for speedy trial. The charge was framed in January 2019 and the Surat police requested capital punishment treating the case as “rarest of rare”.

After a speedy trial, Additional Session Judge PS Kala on Wednesday convicted the accused on the bases of the evidences, statements of witnesses, and arguments of both the prosecution and defense. In the evening, the court passed order of capital punishment.

Surat police commissioner Satish Sharma said, “We welcome the court’s order of capital punishment in the rape-cum-murder of the minor girl. Our police team worked hard on this case and they were backed by the prosecution in the court. The judgement will enhance the security of women and children in the society. This judgement has set an example of giving signals to the criminal elements and even it will strengthen the belief and faith of common citizens in police and judicial system.”

District Government Pleader Nayan Sukhadwala said, “We are satisfied with the order of capital punishment. The girl was just three-and-a-half-years old and was defenceless during the crime. After committing rape, the accused strangulated her to death and later packed the body in a gunny bag. The accused was aware about the crime he did and he threw his mobile phone SIM card in the Narmada river while he left Surat city in train to his hometown to evade arrest. We are successful in establishing the cruelty and conduct of the accused before the court.”

Deputy Commissioner of police Vidhi Choudhari said, “We are satisfied with the verdict as the incident was brutal. I was the supervising authority in the case and we worked for capital punishment for the accused. Our team, including two retried police officials, worked hard on this case. Before submitting the charge sheet, we thoroughly checked it and discussed each and every point with our team members. The verdict will set an example in the society.”

Source: Indian Express, Staff, August 1, 2019


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Location: Surat, Gujarat, India
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