Chhattisgarh Man Gets Death Sentence For Raping, Killing Girl In ‘Rarest Of Rare’ Case

A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act court in Chhattisgarh’s Durg has sentenced a 24-year-old man to death for raping and murdering a six-year-old girl, describing the case as falling within the “rarest of rare” category. The court convicted Somesh Yadav on Thursday under Section 6(1) of the POCSO Act, which deals with aggravated penetrative sexual assault, and Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to murder. The case involved the death of the girl, who was found inside a vehicle in Durg after she had been reported missing in 2025. She was taken to a hospital, where she was declared dead.

The special court imposed the death penalty after finding Yadav guilty of the sexual assault and murder charges. In addition to the capital punishment, the court fined him ₹5,000 under each of the two sections under which he was convicted. The severity of the sentence reflects the court’s classification of the crime among the “rarest of rare” cases, a legal standard that places strict limits on when capital punishment can be imposed in India. The court’s decision comes in a case involving the rape and killing of a child, with the prosecution resulting in convictions under both child sexual assault and murder provisions.

The court also convicted Yadav under Section 238(a) of the BNS, which deals with causing the disappearance of evidence or providing false information to screen an offender. For this offence, he was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹1,000. The court ordered that the imprisonment sentences would run concurrently. The separate conviction under the evidence-related provision adds to the findings against Yadav in connection with the case, while the death sentence remains the principal punishment imposed by the special court for the rape and murder of the six-year-old.

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The “rarest of rare” principle governing death sentences in India has been developed through several Supreme Court judgments. The apex court affirmed the constitutional validity of capital punishment in 1973, 1979 and 1980, while holding that a death sentence may be imposed where it is authorised by law and the prescribed procedure is fair, just and reasonable. However, courts have been directed to reserve the punishment for cases that meet the stringent “rarest of rare” threshold. Judges are also required to record special reasons when imposing a death sentence, making the sentencing decision subject to a higher level of judicial scrutiny.

The case highlights the severe legal consequences prescribed for aggravated sexual offences against children and murder. The POCSO Act provides specific protections for children against sexual offences, while the BNS contains provisions dealing with serious crimes including murder and the disappearance of evidence. In this case, the special POCSO court considered the offences committed against the six-year-old girl serious enough to warrant the maximum punishment available under law. The court’s description of the case as among the “rarest of rare” formed the basis for imposing the death penalty rather than a lesser sentence.

The girl had been reported missing before she was found in a vehicle in Durg in 2025. She was subsequently taken to a hospital and declared dead. The court proceedings resulted in Yadav’s conviction on Thursday and the imposition of the death sentence along with the other punishments and fines. The death penalty awarded by the special court will remain subject to the applicable legal process before it can be carried out. The judgment underscores the judiciary’s approach of applying the “rarest of rare” standard in cases involving exceptionally grave crimes, particularly where the offences include sexual assault and murder of a child.

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