Archive · 25 Jan 2026
MP High Court upholds death sentence in rape-murder case
A man named Atul Nihale was found guilty of a very bad crime.
He hurt and killed a little girl who was only 5 years old.
The police found her body in a water tank in his home.
The court said this was a very terrible thing to do, so they decided to give him the highest punishment, which is the death sentence.
The court looked at all the evidence and decided that this man should not be given a lighter punishment because of how bad his crime was.
His family tried to stop the police from finding the body, but the police still found it.
The court also said that because he had done bad things before, he should not be treated lightly.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld the death sentence for Atul Nihale, convicted in the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl in Bhopal.
The court described the crime as a 'barbaric act of a depraved mind' and categorized it as a 'rarest of rare' case.
The incident occurred on September 24, 2024, in Bhopal's Shahjahanabad area.
The victim's body was found in a plastic water tank in Nihale's flat, with signs of violence and sexual assault.
Nihale was arrested, and DNA analysis matched samples collected during the investigation.
- Who
- Atul Nihale, a 30-year-old labourer, was convicted and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl.
- What
- The Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld the death sentence for the rape and murder of a minor girl.
- When
- The incident occurred on September 24, 2024, and the High Court's decision was made in 2025.
- Where
- The crime took place in Bhopal's Shahjahanabad area, and the High Court is in Jabalpur.
- Why
- The court described the crime as a 'barbaric act of a depraved mind' and categorized it as a 'rarest of rare' case warranting the maximum punishment.
- Victim's Age
- 5 years old
- Location
- Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
- Date of Incident
- September 24, 2024
- Convict's Name
- Atul Nihale
- Convict's Age
- 30 years old
- Convict's Occupation
- Labourer
- Court's Verdict
- Death sentence upheld
- Legal Basis
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and POCSO Act
