NAGAON, Sept 7 - Zakir Hussain, the prime accused in the gang rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Lalung Gaon of Nagaon district on March 23, has been awarded death sentence.
District and Session Judge Rita Kar awarded the death sentenced to the 19-year-old Hussain for the murder and life imprisonment for raping the minor girl.
Special Public Prosecutor Manash Jyoti Neog informed this correspondent that Hussain was given one-year imprisonment under Section 448, three years imprisonment under Section 201, life imprisonment under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act Clause 6 and death penalty under Section 302.
The court had on September 4 acquitted five other accused in the case (No. 64/18), filed in Batadrava Police Station, for lack of evidence.
It may be mentioned here that there were two investigating officers in this case � Maheswar Saikia of Batadrava and Dhiren Kakoti of Nagaon Traffic � who, after cross-examining 46 witnesses, filed the charge-sheet against 8 persons on April 28 within a record time of 35 days.
Earlier this week, the juvenile court found two other minors guilty and sent them to a correctional home for three years, Nagaon Additional Superintendent of Police Ripul Das, who was part of the investigation team, said.
The girl, a class 5 student, was gang-raped and set on fire when she was alone at her home in Dhaniabheti Lalung Gaon in Nagaon district on March 23. The youths fled after committing the crime, while the girl was rushed to Guwahati Medical College Hospital where she succumbed to injuries the following day.
It may be added here that the Gauhati High Court had fast tracked the case following a request by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.