India, Aug. 7 -- A court in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Friday sentenced a man to death for sexually assaulting and hacking a nine-year-old girl to death in Dahanu taluka in 2021, stating that the extreme brutality and heinous nature of the crime shocked the conscience of the judiciary as well as society.

Additional Sessions Judge A R Rahane sentenced 51-year-old Pramul alias Praffula alias Pramod Ratna Ghoshe, a grocer, to death, and also imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on him.

The court said a child who was supposed to spend her time in cheerfulness was instead dealt with animal passion by an acquaintance of her father's age.

Ghoshe was held guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 376(2)(j) (a...