Lucknow/Ghazipur: In a chilling case underscoring both the brutality of the crime and the convict’s mindset, a Ghazipur court on Thursday sentenced a 33-year-old man to death for slitting the throat of his four-year-old nephew, holding that the offence fell within the “rarest of rare” category and that the accused showed no remorse.The court of additional district and sessions judge Shakti Singh awarded capital punishment under IPC Section 302 (murder) to Amjad Khan, who was convicted of killing his nephew, Daniyal Khan, in Oct 2021 following a minor family dispute.Moments before sentencing, the courtroom witnessed a disturbing exchange later cited as reflective of the convict’s conduct. According to additional district government counsel (criminal) Akhilesh Singh, the judge asked Amjad what he would do if released from prison.“If someone gets into a dispute with me, I will kill him too,” the convict allegedly replied, stunning those present. When asked if he regretted killing the child, Amjad reportedly said he felt no remorse.Taking note of the brutality of the act and the convict’s lack of repentance, the court ordered that he be “hanged till death”. In keeping with a longstanding judicial tradition associated with capital punishment, the judge also broke the nib of his pen after signing the order.According to court records, the incident occurred on Oct 21, 2021, around 4.30pm. An FIR was lodged the same day by the victim’s uncle, Arbaaz Khan, a resident of Mircha village under Dildarnagar police station in Ghazipur district.The prosecution said the murder was carried out in an exceptionally brutal manner, leading to the child’s death on the spot. After investigation, police filed a chargesheet on December 24, 2021. The court took cognisance on April 13, 2022, and framed charges on August 22 the same year.During the trial, the prosecution examined nine witnesses and presented documentary and forensic evidence. After evaluating the material on record, the court found Amjad guilty under Section 302 of the IPC. Along with the death sentence, it imposed a fine of ₹50,000, with an additional six months’ imprisonment in case of default.While delivering the verdict, Judge Shakti Singh made strong observations on the nature of the crime and its impact. “The child was merely four years old and unaware of the world. All limits of cruelty were crossed. The mother witnessed her own brother killing her son. This pain cannot be expressed in words,” the court observed.The judge noted that the victim was completely helpless and that the circumstances warranted the harshest punishment prescribed by law.According to the prosecution, the incident took place at the child’s maternal grandparents’ home, where he had arrived with his mother, Shabana Naz. A minor argument reportedly broke out between Amjad and his sister, following which he attacked the child with a knife and slit his throat in front of her. The child died instantly.During the trial, key testimony came from within the family, with three of the accused’s sisters and one brother deposing against him and supporting the prosecution’s case. Witnesses said that even after the sentence was pronounced, Amjad showed no visible emotion and appeared unmoved while being taken into custody.
