The death sentence will require confirmation by the Punjab and Haryana High Court before execution.
Judge Manpreet Kaur, sitting in the special POCSO court in Hoshiarpur, found Yadav guilty under Sections 103 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act after the boy’s body was recovered from a cremation ground in Purhiran.
The case began after the child was abducted on September 9, 2023, sparking outrage in the district and prompting residents to demand the harshest punishment.
The court pronounced the death penalty a day before the statutory deadline under Section 35 of the POCSO Act, which obliges special courts to conclude trials within a year of cognizance.
Local panchayats subsequently passed resolutions on migrant worker settlements, a separate issue that surfaced as the case drew national attention.
The next step is a forthcoming hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the date of which has not yet been set.