One death sentence already in, rapist-killer faces 4 more cases

A short-heighted lanky man with sunken eyes, Sunil Kumar, 29, was outside his hutment in Sector 66 when he spotted a three-year-old girl.

- Leena Dhankhar

GURUGRAM: A short-heighted lanky man with sunken eyes, Sunil Kumar, 29, was outside his hutment in Sector 66 when he spotted a three-year-old girl. With her parents, both migrant labourers, away for work, and the girl was playing with other children.

Sunil lured her away to a secluded spot 200m from his house under the promise of giving her chocolates.

In the ramshackle building on November 11, 2018, Sunil allegedly raped the girl and then killed her by smashing her head with a brick.

For Sunil, the little girl was yet another victim in a slew of children he had preyed upon; over five years, he had raped and killed 15 minor girls across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, according to police.

On December 6, the Punjab and Haryana high court handed him a death sentence, terming his actions as akin to a "monster." He is currently facing trial in four more similar cases.

Kumar, a native of Ganj village in Naugaon district of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on November 19, 2018, from Magarpur village in Jhansi, for allegedly raping and murdering the victim.

The case was reported under Sector 65 police station in Gurugram when the dead body of a girl child was found near a temple on November 12, 2018.

As per the case, the accused, then 23-year-old Sunil, had tricked her and took her along to a secluded place where he raped her and killed her. The accused was finally arrested from Jharkhand on November 19.

Initial leads police had got from a CCTV in which he was seen going with the child towards the secluded area but when he returned he was alone.

The special court under POCSO had sentenced him to death under sections 302, 376AB of Indian Penal Code and Section 6 (aggravated assault) of POCSO Act on February 21, 2024.