Madhya Pradesh teacher to hang for raping minor in March

Bhopal: The Jabalpur Central Jail in Madhya Pradesh has begun preparations to hang a school teacher on March 2 following the “black warrant”— final order for execution- issued against him by a local court in Satna in the state for raping a 4-year-old girl last year.

Satna district and sessions court issued the “black warrant” on Sunday after Madhya Pradesh high court upheld the death sentence pronounced in the case by the trial court, according to local government counsel.

The accused, Mahendra Singh Gond, would be hanged till death at 5.00 am on March two inside Jabalpur Central Jail as mandated by the court unless Supreme Court intervened in the case, a senior officer of Jabalpur Central Jail said on Tuesday.

“We have received the hard copy of the order on Monday and informed the accused about it”, Jailor J.K. Mishra said.

If the execution was carried out, Gond would be the first under the new legislation to hang the child rapists.

The jail authorities have initiated a move to hire a hangman from outside the state since there is no hangman in MP to carry out capital punishment.

The accused has indicated to move Supreme Court against the lower court order, jail officials said.

Gond had abducted the child in Nagod area in Satna district on the night of June 30, 2018 and took her to a nearby jungle where he brutally raped her.

He had then abandoned her at the crime spot thinking her as dead.

Her family members had found her lying in a pool of blood and then rushed her to the district hospital.