Man Receives Double Death Sentence for Rape and Murder of Daughter
Special Judge A C Raut, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, sentenced Guddu Chhotelal Rajak (40) to the double death penalty for the rape and murder of his teenage daughter.
Guddu, a labourer living with his daughters Mahi (16), her 12-year-old sister, and 10-year-old brother at Plot No. 78, Devi Nagar, Wanjra, had remarried Kausalya Dashrath Piparde (38) after his wife Aarti's suicide in 2026. Kausalya later left him and lived with her family.
On November 6, 2022, Mahi was found hanging in her home, following an earlier incident where Guddu had poisoned her. Mahi's step-aunt, Ashwini Deshbhratar (29), reported to the police that Mahi was being pressured into marriage and sexually harassed by Aarti's brother, Santosh Piparde (35).
Initial investigations led to the arrests of Kausalya, Santosh, and others based on Mahi's suicide notes. However, further investigation revealed that Guddu had staged the suicide, raped Mahi, and killed her. Guddu's second daughter, an eyewitness, confirmed the sequence of events. The charges against Kausalya, Santosh, and the others were dropped.
Guddu was charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. During his interrogation, Guddu confessed to his crimes.
Assistant Police Inspector Chanda Dandawate led the investigation, and the court examined 26 witnesses. Guddu was sentenced to the double death penalty under Section 302 of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, along with fines. He also received life imprisonment for additional charges under Sections 307, 194, and 120-B of the IPC. Further punishments included three years of rigorous imprisonment under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The court recommended compensation for Mahi's siblings and directed the prosecution to file charges against the absconding Ashwini Deshbhratar. Additional Public Prosecutor Adv. Kalpana Pande represented the State.
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