Brothers sentenced to death for raping girl and burning her in coal oven

The teenager went missing on the morning of August 2, 2023, while she was grazing cattle in her village.

Content Warning: This story contains disturbing details.

In India, two brothers were sentenced to death for gang-raping a 14-year-old girl and then burning her alive in a charcoal oven.

The brothers, identified in published reports only as Kalu, 25, and Kanha, 21, were convicted on Monday (May 20) by a special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act in the district of Bhilwara in Rajasthan, according to law. Hindustan TimesTHE The Hindu and India Today.

Seven other people were acquitted after being accused of playing a role in disposing of the girl's body, according to The Hindu. Special prosecutor Mahaveer Singh Kishnawat said he planned to appeal the acquittal, according to India Today.

The teenager disappeared on the morning of August 2, 2023, while tending livestock in her village, according to the The Hindu. A search ensued and his family found his shoes near a charcoal kiln. They found pieces of bone and a charred bracelet inside the fiery furnace, according to The Hindu.

Police found parts of the teenager's body in a pond two days later, according to India Today.

The brothers, who were caretakers of the charcoal kiln, admitted to police that after throwing the victim into the kiln, they threw part of his remains into a pond to hinder the police investigation, according to The Hindu.

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A forensic examination showed that the girl was alive before being put in the oven, according to India Today.

Authorities said she was hit in the head with a stick, according to The Hindu.

“There is no place for crime and criminals in Rajasthan,” Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said on X, according to The Hindu. “If anyone dares to commit a crime, they will not be spared under any circumstances.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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