The Orissa High Court on Wednesday quashed the death penalty awarded to a rape and murder accused by a POCSO Court in 2019. The High Court also asked the POCSO Court to review its judgement.
The POCSO Court had in July 2019 awarded the sentence to Anam Dehuri (22) for raping and murdering a minor girl at Kangula village in Angul district on January 20, 2019. It was the first capital punishment under the POCSO Act in the State. The girl was carrying lunch for her father to his shop when Dehuri abducted her to a forested near the village, raped her and thrashed her to death with a stone fearing that she might disclose the matter to others.
He was later arrested from Kolkata under Sections 376 (3), 302, 201 of IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act.
Holding Dehuri guilty in the case, POCSO Court Special Judge Suresh Chandra Pradhan had pronounced the death sentence.Dehuri had then moved the High Court challenging the penalty through a criminal appeal.
