Jan. 14
INDIA:
Death penalty for man who raped, strangled 11-yr-old
The Sewri Fast Track Court's Ad Hoc Additional Sessions Judge C D Gongle
on Thursday sentenced 35-year-old Arjun Jogadiya to death for raping and
murdering his 11-year-old neighbour Leena (name changed) in 2004. Gongle
ordered the accused to be hanged till death - and also fined him Rs 1,800.
Jogadiya raped Leena at a canine shelter at Saat Rasta on November 10,
2004. "The girl was playing with her brother (then 9) near their house
when their 'Arjun Mama' came and offered them Chinese rice," said
Additional Public Prosecutor Ramesh Labhane.
After the trio had finished the dinner at a nearby foodstall, Jogadiya
told the girls brother to go home and said Leena would follow in a few
minutes.
The rapist then took Leena to the terrace of the dog shelter situated
directly behind the foodstall, repeatedly raped her and strangled her to
death.
When Leena had not returned home hours later, the parents began looking
for her and finally filed a missing person's complaint with the Agripada
police. Meanwhile, Jogadiya was also missing.
Leena's body was found by a group of boys playing cricket in the area the
next day. Arjun was immediately arrested and confessed to the rape and
murder.
"10 witnesses deposed before the court, including the owner of the
foodstall and the victim's brother. Their testimony helped corroborate the
evidence," said Additional Public Prosecutor Gangaram Mhatre.
"The post-mortem and chemical analysis report also found the deceased's
blood on Jogadiyas clothes. This case fits the 'rarest of rare'
classification and we are glad the accused has been sentenced to death,"
he said.
(source: Express News Service)
IRAQ:
Saddam Trial Judge Not Stepping Down
The chief judge overseeing the Saddam Hussein trial has no plans to step
down, and media reports suggesting that he will are "baseless," another
judge on the Saddam tribunal said Saturday.
Rizgar Mohammed Amin, the presiding judge of a 5-judge tribunal overseeing
the Saddam case, has no plans to step down before the completion of the
trial, 2 judges told The Associated Press Saturday.
The news reports cited an anonymous source close to the judge as saying he
would hear one more session of the trial and then resign.
One of the judges who spoke to AP sits with Amin on the 5-judge panel
hearing the Saddam trial. The former leader is being tried on mass murder
charges for killings in Dujail in 1982 in retaliation for an assassination
attempt.
The 2nd judge is on the committee that will likely hear the next case
against Saddam concerning the Anfal Offensive that killed some 180,000
Kurds. Both judges spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The judge on the committee studying the Anfal case told AP that Amin
wasn't likely to serve for that trial because a 5-judge panel has already
been selected and is studying the case.
The trial against Saddam for the Dujail killings began in October and is
scheduled to resume Jan. 24.
Amin is a Kurd who before the Saddam trial was virtually unknown outside
his home region. He heads the panel of 5 judges who are both hearing the
Saddam case and will render a verdict in the trial.
The names of the other 4 judges have not been released, and only 2 besides
Amin have allowed their faces to be shown by courtroom television cameras.
Amin has been criticized for allowing Saddam to grandstand at the trial.
U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, a Republican from
Pennsylvania, met with Amin in late December and told him to take stronger
control of the proceeding.
Saddam has often grabbed the spotlight during his trial. He has railed at
the judge, refused to show up at one session, claimed he was tortured and
openly prayed in court when the judge would not allow a recess.
(source: Los Angeles Times)
