Guwahati: A sessions court on Friday sentenced to death a youth who had raped a 12-year-old and burnt her alive in central Assam's Nagaon district on March 23 this year.

District and sessions judge, Nagaon, Rita Kar, sentenced Zakir Hussain, 19, to death after convicting him under Section 302 (murder) of IPC.

Special public prosecutor Manash Jyoti Neog and public prosecutor Bibha Phukan appeared on behalf of the prosecution.

"He was also convicted under Sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 448 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012," Phukan said.

She said the two juvenile accused arrested in this case were found guilty by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), Nagaon, on Wednesday and ruled that they will be kept at an observation home for three years.

The court, however, acquitted five other accused - Abdul Rajek, Zubeda Khatun, Muklesur Rahman, Abdul Rashid and Fakruddin - who have been chargesheeted by the police for allegedly harbouring the offender and for destruction of evidence. They were acquitted for lack of evidence against them.

The victim was gang raped and set ablaze when she was alone at home on March 23.

The youths escaped after the crime and the girl was rushed to Gauhati Medical College Hospital but succumbed to her injuries the next day.

The accused were neighbours of the victim, who was a class V student.

The people of the area damaged Zakir's house following the incident.

A case (number 64/2018) was registered at Batadrava police station and the accused were arrested on charges of rape, murder and causing disappearance of evidence.

The case was investigated by a special investigation team headed by additional superintendent of police (headquarters), Nagaon, Ripul Das.

On completion of the investigation, the police filed a 158-page chargesheet, along with 43 supporting documents, in the form of statements, seizure list and medical/forensic reports, against eight accused persons on April 27.

The family of the victim welcomed the court's order and demanded that Zakir should be sent to the gallows as early as possible.

A large number of people, including leaders of local organisations, gathered on the court campus and hailed the court order.

This particular incident had sent shockwaves across the state and there had been protests at different parts of the state demanding capital punishment for the accused.

The rape and murder had also rocked the state Assembly in March with the Opposition Congress attacking the BJP-led government of not being able to ensure the safety and security of women in the state.

This is the second instance of death penalty being handed over to rapists in the state within two months after the Hojai sessions court on August 1 awarding capital punishment to the prime accused of gang rape and murder of a school teacher at Jamunamukh.

Additional reporting by Sarat Sarma in Nagaon