The convict in the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl at Aluva in Kerala earlier this year received capital punishment because the police and the prosecution were able to prove it as a rarest of rare case, said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, M.R. Ajithkumar.
He was talking to media outside the Additional District Sessions Court for trying atrocities against women and children in Ernakulam shortly after Special Judge K. Soman awarded death sentence to the convict Asafak Alam, 29, of Bihar on November 14, 2023.
What proved most crucial leading to the successful culmination of the case was the speedy arrest of the accused within six hours after the missing of the victim was reported. If he was not arrested then, the accused might have fled and the case would have remained unresolved, said Mr. Ajith Kumar.
The Kerala Police had probed the case efficiently from the outset. A 30-member police team which was split into different teams visited Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, and collected evidences and completed the probe within 30 days.
The trial was completed in next 60 days and the accused was convicted on 100th day since the incident was reported. The sentence has been awarded 10 days since.
The Kerala Government had taken it up as a mission to complete the trial at the earliest and roped in special public prosecutor G. Mohanraj who camped in Kochi for a month for the case trial.
Mr. Ajith Kumar said the trial could be completed quickly thanks to the court, which fast-tracked it and heard it in full compliance with the recent Supreme Court directions on the conduct of trial in murder cases. Everyone, from the judge, the police, the prosecution, forensic lab officials, other agencies and the court staff, worked systematically and with dedication for the successful trial. The case proves the robustness of the Indian criminal justice system, he said.
Mr. Ajith Kumar also hailed the local people in Aluva who, he said, extended full support and helped the investigation team collect all evidence. The cooperation of all the prosecution witnesses also helped in the successful trial.
Mr. Ajith Kumar pointed out that the accused had committed similar offences in the past in places such as Bihar and Delhi, which reflects his basic nature. The police officers also called for a system to identify and track down people with such paedophilic traits.
He hailed the police team led by District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) Vivek Kumar who has since been transferred.
Meanwhile, a loading worker in the Aluva market who had noticed the victim along with the accused before the gruesome incident in July 2023 and had given the police a statement distributed sweets in the market following the awarding of capital punishment to the convict.
Meanwhile, District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) Vivek Kumar expressed satisfaction at the accused in the Aluva rape and murder case receiving the maximum punishment. “This is a success of team work. The Special Investigation Team succeeded in finding scientific evidence, presenting them effectively and submitting a foolproof chargesheet in a time-bound manner,” he said.
