Karnal, May 16 -- A fast-track court in Yamunanagar on Thursday awarded the death penalty to 24-year-old Rajesh Kumar alias Nirmal for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in 2024. The convict, a resident of the same village, was found guilty of the crime that shocked the local community.

The incident occurred on September 20, 2024, when the girl went missing while playing with her friends. Her body was later discovered in the sugarcane fields near her village, under the jurisdiction of Chhachhrauli police station.

Yamunanagar district attorney Dharam Chand said that special public prosecutor GK Tandon represented the state in the trial. The verdict was delivered by Additional District Sessions Judge (Fast Track Special Court), Ya...