On February 5, 2017, he lured the child, raped and killed her.

A mahila court in Chengalpet, near Chennai, on Monday sentenced to death Daswant for the kidnap, rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in an apartment in Mugalivakkam, a neighbourhood of the city, in February last.

Judge P. Velmurugan earlier in the day held him guilty of the offences and asked his opinion on the sentence and Daswant replied that a minimum punishment be given to him.

According to prosecution, on February 5, when the child's parents were away, Daswant lured her and raped her. To suppress her cries for help, he killed her. He hid the body in his house for a day and took it out in a travel bag and dumped it under a bridge near Anakaputhur. The next day, he went back to the spot and burnt the body. Posing as a passerby, he alerted the police control room.

Daswant had spoken to a television crew regarding the crime before his arrest. CCTV footage and other evidence prompted the police to suspect him and subsequently, he was arrested.

Daswant was charged under Sections 302 (Punishment for murder), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of Indian Penal Code and 4 (Aggravated penetrative assault) and 5 (Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

He allegedly killed mother while on bail

Just before the court was set to commence the trial on December last, Daswant, while on bail, allegedly murdered his mother Sarala in Kundrathur and fled to Mumbai. Police nabbed him after a long search and brought him before the court.

Over 30 witnesses were examined and 40 documents marked.