Satna(Madhya Pradesh): On Friday, Supreme Court stayed the execution of a school teacher Mahendra Singh Gonda who was awarded death sentence for raping a minor. A district court had awarded death sentence to Gonda for raping a four year old girl at Satna in Madhya Pradesh. The decision was also upheld by Madhya Pradesh High Court. The date fixed for the execution of the teacher was March 2.
Gonda was arrested on the night of 1st July 2018, in Parsamnia of Uchehra police station area. A day after the incident, Mukesh Shukla - the then collector had spoken to the former CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan regarding the airlifting of the victim and then admitting her in AIIMS Delhi, for treatment. After Gonda was found Guilty of raping the minor, Additional Sessions Judge of the district court based in Nagoda sentenced him to death on September 19.
Madhya Pradesh was the first state to enact a law in December 2017, providing for death penalty for rapists of girls below 12 years of age. The Centre had brought an amendment in the IPC to punish the rapists of girls below 12 years of age with death in 2017.