Delhi Court Rejects Death Penalty for 22-Year-Old Man Convicted of Raping 4-Year-Old Girl; Here's Why

A Delhi court has declined to award the death penalty to a 22-year-old man convicted of kidnapping and raping a four-year-old girl, ruling that the crime did not meet the legal threshold for the "rarest of rare" category. Additional Sessions Judge Amit Sahrawat instead sentenced the convict, Sunny Kumar, to rigorous life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life under the Protection of Children from S*xual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court also ordered INR 13.5 lakh in financial compensation for the victim’s rehabilitation.

Court Weighs Mitigating Factors Against Severity of Crime

The sentencing order, finalised following arguments on the quantum of punishment, balanced the brutal nature of the assault against the convict's profile. The prosecution had aggressively pursued capital punishment, characterising the offense against the young child as a "monstrous act". Delhi High Court Acquits Muslim Man in Controversial Interfaith Marriage Case; Here’s Why.

However, the court noted that Kumar's age, lack of a prior criminal record, and subsequent admission of guilt served as mitigating factors that precluded execution. "This court is not of the opinion that the present case falls in the category of rarest of rare cases. Considering the young age and clean past of the convict, the capital sentence is not justifiable in the present case," the court order read. During the proceedings, Kumar expressed regret for the assault, attributing his actions to intoxication.

"It is also considerable that during arguments on sentence, on court query, convict himself admitted his guilt and also stated that at the time of incident he was under the influence of alcohol, otherwise he cannot even think about such kind of offence and also stated that he is remorseful for his misdeeds," the judge observed.

Impact on the Victim and Family Background

The initial conviction, handed down on April 30, established that the child suffered extensive, life-threatening internal trauma. According to testimonies presented to the court, the severe injuries necessitated multiple intrusive surgical procedures. The victim's mother testified that the ongoing medical crisis caused severe economic disruption for the family. Both parents were forced to leave their jobs to provide round-the-clock physical support for the child, who remained on a strict liquid diet and was unable to stand or sit independently. The judge noted the extreme administrative and emotional toll on the family, observing that the parents were forced to take turns holding the child in their laps due to post-surgical physical constraints. "The sufferings of the victim cannot even be imagined. Undergoing several surgeries and then remaining bedridden due to surgical constraints is too painful," the court stated.

No Leniency and Long-Term Confinement

While blocking the death penalty, Judge Sahrawat emphasised that Kumar’s "diabolical" conduct demonstrated that he remained a permanent threat to public safety and was entirely undeserving of standard sentence reductions or early parole. "Although the convict is not being considered for a capital sentence, but still there is no doubt in holding that his misdeeds are diabolical in nature and he does not deserve any kind of leniency and he is required to be kept out of society for as long as possible," the ruling clarified. "If convict can commit rape of such a small child, then he is a serious threat to society at large and therefore he should be kept behind bars throughout his life," the court added. Delhi High Court Quashes ‘Unnatural S*x’ FIR Against Man After Ex-Wife Agrees to INR 20 Lakh Settlement.

Compensation and Rehabilitation Directives

To address the long-term medical and welfare requirements of the victim, the court finalised a total compensation package of INR 13.5 lakh. Because an interim relief sum of INR 5 lakh had already been released to the family during the trial phase, the court directed the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to expedite the disbursement of the remaining INR 8.5 lakh to support the child’s ongoing medical treatments.

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2026 12:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).