Bhopal, March 19 -- Special Judge Kumudini Patel sentenced 'hanged till death' to Atul Bhalase, the prime accused in the horrific kidnapping, rape, and brutal murder of a 5-year-old girl in Shahjahanabad area of the state capital.
Atul's mother, Basanti Bai, and sister, Chanchal Bhalase, who aided him in the crime, were each sentenced to two years of imprisonment.
Special Judge Kumudini Patel convicted all three in a case that has shocked the nation with its sheer brutality.
The gruesome incident occurred on September 24, 2024, when Atul kidnapped the girl, raped her, and then strangled her to death. Her body was later discovered in a water tank inside his flat, just 8 feet away from her own home.
Atul, who already had six prior crimina...