Uncle convicted in minor’s rape-murder case:Indore court awards triple life sentence, says, ‘Women unsafe even inside homes among trusted relatives’

In a brutal rape-and-murder case, an Indore court on Friday (28 November) convicted a man—uncle (Mousa) of the victim—under three serious charges and awarded him three separate life sentences. While delivering the judgment, the court observed that the accused committed a heinous crime by sexually assaulting and murdering the minor girl despite being a close relative.
The court remarked: “Women today are not only unsafe outside the home but also within families and among relatives.” It added that the nature of the crime reflected the accused’s “disturbed and perverse mindset” and that awarding a lesser sentence would be neither just nor lawful. Victim found dead inside uncle’s room The incident took place on 21 June 2022. The 14-year-old girl lived with her parents and siblings in Indore. Her father, a driver, was away for work, while her mother had gone out with two daughters. Her brother was playing outside. When the mother returned in the evening, the girl was missing. The adjacent room belonging to the accused uncle was locked from inside. After repeatedly knocking and receiving no response, the mother, neighbours, and the girl’s sisters broke open the door. Inside, they found the minor lying dead in a pool of blood. Accused found injured in dramatic scene Next to the victim, the uncle was found injured and covered in blood, with a wound on his neck. Blood was splattered across the room. He was taken to the hospital, while the girl’s body was sent for post-mortem. The autopsy revealed multiple injury marks on the girl’s neck, face, and abdomen, along with severe bleeding from her private parts. Strong forensic evidence helped crack the case Forensic experts collected several items from the scene, including blood samples, a vegetable knife, a blade, and a piece of saree.
Key findings included: Based on this, the police registered charges under POCSO, murder and other relevant sections. Conviction despite weak testimonies After a three-year-long trial, the district court found the accused guilty of rape and murder.
Notably, the victim’s parents did not fully support the prosecution during testimony, making circumstantial and forensic evidence crucial to securing conviction. Triple life sentence under three IPC sections The court awarded life imprisonment under three sections: The convict was also fined Rs 30,000.
Special Public Prosecutor Preeti Agrawal, Sushila Rathore and ADPO AVisarika Jain represented the prosecution. The court additionally recommended Rs 3 lakh financial assistance to the victim’s parents.