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IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH State of Haryana ...Appellant Versus Anand Singh …Respondent JUDGMENT JUDGMENT OPERATIVE PART UPLOADED RESERVED ON PRONOUNCED ON PRONOUNCED OR FULL ON

01.07.2026 08.07.2026 FULL PRONOUNCED 09.07.2026 CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANOOP CHITKARA HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE RAMESH CHANDER DIMRI Present: Mr. Yuvraj Shandilya, A.A.G., Haryana.

Mr. Rahul Mohan, Addl. A.G., Haryana, Mr. Karan Sharma, D.A.G., Haryana. Mr. Shiva Khurmi, D.A.G., Haryana.

Ms. Vibha Dhiman, Legal Aid Counsel for the appellant-convict.

Mr. Prateek Gupta, Advocate (Amicus Curiae).

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ANOOP CHITKARA, J.

1 §346. Wrongful confinement in secret.

2 §363. Punishment for kidnapping. 3 §366A. Procuration of minor girl.

4 §376. Punishment for rape.

5 §365. Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person.

6 §302. Punishment for murder.

7

§201. Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender.

8 §6. Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

CIS number before the Sessions Court SC-333-2021 Date of Decision 28.07.2023 Date of order on the quantum of sentence 29.07.2023 Name of the accused/convict Anand Singh Conviction under Sections 302, 363, 201 IPC and 6 of POCSO Act

1. On May 24, 2021, in Palwal, Haryana, the victim, who was just 17 days short of her

7^th birthday, whom this Court would affectionately refer to as ‘Laadli’, a name that aptly fits her, was allegedly allured and abducted by the convict, Anand Singh, then aged 27 years, who by taking advantage of her parents’ departure for work, took Laadli to an isolated place in fields, where he brutally raped her at both orifices, then throttled her to death, and concealed her dead body in a pit.

2. The next day, i.e., on May 25, 2021, the police arrested and interrogated Anand Singh. Based on his alleged disclosure statement, the police recovered Laadli’s dead body from a nearby pit. Upon completion of the investigation, the police launched prosecution against Anand Singh, and he was charged by the trial Court for the commission of the offences as mentioned above. The trial Court held Anand Singh guilty and awarded him the death sentence as mentioned above.

3. Seeking confirmation of the death sentence, the trial Court sent the above-mentioned reference to this Court under §366⁹ of the CrPC, 1973 [§407 BNSS, 2023]. Challenging the conviction and the consequent sentence as captioned above, the convict also came before this Court by filing the present Criminal Appeal under §374(2) CrPC, 1973 [§415 BNSS, 2023].

4. On May 24, 2021, Laadli’s father gave a written complaint [Ext PW24/1 (Pg. 149 of the trial Court Record)] to the SHO of Police Station Mundkati, District Palwal, Haryana, stating that he is a tribal from Madhya Pradesh, resides at a tile plant, and works as a laborer. On May 24, 2021, he went to work, and his children were at the plant. Around 3:00 PM, he received a phone call from a laborer at his home site (plant) informing him that his

9 §366. Sentence of death to be submitted by Court of Session for confirmation.

daughter Laadli was not at her residence. Upon this, he (Laadli’s father) returned home and, at his own level, searched for her, but she could not be traced. He stated that Laadli was around 7 years old and was wearing a blue salwar suit. Based on this information, the police registered the FIR [Ext PW-23/1 (pg. 151)] mentioned above on May 24, 2021, at 11-05 PM and also made an endorsement [Ext PW23/2 (pg. 149)] on this complaint. The investigation was entrusted to HC Bhojdutt [PW-23, HC/ASI].

5. The surrounding events of Laadli’s tragic rape and murder unfolded on the following date, i.e., May 25, 2021, when Laadli’s father filed a second complaint [Ext PW24/2 (pg. 319)] with the SHO. He alleged that after he had made the first complaint [Ext PW24/1] to the police, he enquired and got to know that his neighbor, Anand Singh (the convict herein), had not gon