Killing of Chandini

Chandini was a five-year-old student who migrated from the state of Bihar to the state of Kerala in India. She lived with her parents in a rented flat in Choornikkara village, Aluva and was a class one student at the Thaikkattukara UP school. Chandini went missing around 3:30 pm on 28 July 2023. Her body was found abandoned in a sack 21 hours later near the Aluva market area. After the post-mortem, the police confirmed that she was strangled to death after being sexually assaulted. On 4 November 2023, Special POCSO court judge convicted Ashfaq Alam, a migrant labourer, for raping and killing Chandini. He was sentenced to death on 14 November 2023.

Kidnapping and killing
On 28 July 2023, Chandini was allegedly abducted by Ashfaq Aslam, a native of Assam. They were in the Aluva market around 3:30 pm and he walked behind her. Seeing him and the girl, some people were suspicious, but the accused replied that it was his child. The accused then allegedly came to a secluded place behind the market, sexually assaulted Chandini, and killed her around 5:30 pm. The inquest revealed that there was a wound on her genitals. The accused had allegedly strangled her with her own clothes, and hit her face with a stone. After confirming her death, he allegedly put plastic covers and sacks over her body.

Investigation
After CCTV footage showed Chandini accompanying Aslam to the neighbouring bus stop, the police detained him,. He had moved in to live in the floor above Chandini's home two days earlier. The girl remained missing even after police tracked down Aslam near Thottakkattukara in Aluva around 10.45 pm. He was in an intoxicated state, the police claimed, making it impossible to get information out of him. In the morning, Aluva market employees told the police that they had seen a man with a child there, the night before. Aslam initially told the police that he had given the child to a man named Zakir, after becoming sober the next morning. However, later he admitted to the crime. The body was then discovered on the banks of the Periyar river in the market area about noon, where trash is deposited behind the market. Later, Chandini's body was identified by her fatherIn this case. 41 witnesses in all were questioned. Ashfaq was tested with an interpreter present. Within 30 days, the police completed their investigation and submitted the chargesheet to the court.

Trial and verdict
The trial, which started on October 4, was completed in 26 days. A ruling issued on 4 November 2023, the judge found that the accused Ashfaq Alam is guilty of sixteen counts under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, and the Indian Penal Code. Sixteen charges were brought against him, including murder, kidnapping, rape, and unnatural sex. The Ernakulam POCSO court pronounced the verdict of the case on 14 November 2023. The accused Ashfaq Alam was awarded capital punishment by judge K. Soman.