India, Dec. 18 -- A sessions court in Pune on Tuesday sentenced a man to rigorous life imprisonment for the murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl, who was hacked to death with a sickle while practising kabaddi at a playground in Bibwewadi in October 2021. The court rejected the prosecution's plea for the death penalty, holding that while the crime was brutal and shocking, it did not fall within the "rarest of rare" category.

Additional sessions judge S R Salunkhe convicted Shubham alias Rushikesh Bajirao Bhagwat under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and imposed a fine of Rs.5,000. In default, the accused will have to undergo six months of simple imprisonment.

The murder had triggered widespread outrage and protests across Pun...