New Delhi:
S Dhasvanth, an engineer, who was the main accused in the rape-and-murder of a 7-year-old Hasini, has been sentenced to death by the Mahila Court in Tamil Nadu.
The convict allegedly raped and murdered a 7-year-old girl named Hasini, who was his neighbour. The 23-year-old Dhasvanth had burnt the minor’s body after raping and strangulating her.
The incident, which took place in February 2017, has finally for a verdict. The court held Dashvanth guilty on all charges including those under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POSCO) Act.
Other than the POSCO Act, the accused was convicted under IPC Section 363 (kidnapping), 366 (kidnapping, abduction), 354-b (assault or use of criminal force on woman with intent to disrobe), 302 (murder), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and section 8 read with 7,6,5(m) of POSCO (punishment for aggravated sexual assault).
The court examined 30 witnesses, 45 documents, and 19 pieces of evidence in the investigation of the case. The lawyer fighting the case on behalf of Hasini’s father, Kannadasan, said that Dashvanth had been sentenced seven years for kidnapping, 10 years under section 366 of the IPC, seven years under section 354-b, and seven years for destroying evidence.
Along with this, 15 years of sentence has been given under the POSCO Act. All in all, the convicted has been given a total of 46 years of severe imprisonment.
Hasini’s father, while speaking to the media, said, “In the last year I have never got sleep. I fought to ensure that the judicial system gave the right punishment in time. I know that my child will not come back but I will say thanks to the judiciary. I hope nobody does something like this ever again.”
The minor, Hasini, went missing from her apartment complex on February 6, 2017, where she used to stay with her family. Dashvanth, as per witnesses, lured the minor away with a dog, and then sexually assaulted her, and later killed her. He strangulated her, put her body in a plastic bag, and set fire to the bag on a national highway.
It took almost eight months to get the accused, Dashvanth, to the court. The police failed to file a charge sheet against him within the 90 days reprimand given by the Court, which led to Dashvanth’s statutory bail on September 12, 2017.
Dashvanth also killed his mother on December 2, 2017 and escaped with her jewellery. He was caught on December 6 in Mumbai, escaped again, and was caught again the next day. His father, who was continuously supporting him from the start of the case, withdrew his legal support and regretted that getting him out on bail was ‘the biggest mistake of his life’ as it cost him his wife.
