Gujarat court sentences man to death for murder of eight-year-old girl

A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Jamnagar, Gujarat, has sentenced Nitin Dosaji Manek to death for the murder of an eight-year-old girl. The court categorized the crime as one of the ‘rarest of the rare’ due to the extreme brutality involved.

The victim, who was from Sikka, had been subjected to prolonged physical abuse, including being burned with matchsticks and assaulted with an iron pestle, prior to her death in 2025. Following an investigation, police filed a chargesheet within 35 days of the incident. During the trial, prosecutors presented 95 pieces of documentary evidence and examined 23 witnesses.

In addition to the death sentence for murder, Manek received a sentence of life imprisonment under the POCSO Act and was ordered to pay a fine of Rs 50,000. Government officials stated that the verdict aligns with a zero-tolerance policy toward crimes against women and children.