The Madhya Pradesh High Court confirmed the death sentence on January 25. (Representational)
A trial court in Madhya Pradesh has issued a death penalty against a school teacher who has been convicted of raping a four-year-old girl.
The trial court in Satna district sent the death warrant of Mahendra Singh Gond, 28, to the Central Jail in Jabalpur, a prison official said today.
The convict will challenge the death penalty in the Supreme Court, Jabalpur Central Jail's law officer Ashok Singh said.
The execution date has been fixed for March 2, 2019.
The convict can also file a mercy petition before the President of India, the official said.
"The death warrant will be executed only after all the available legal remedies are exhausted," Mr Singh said.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court confirmed the death sentence on January 25.
The trial court had convicted the school teacher on September 19, 2018.
He was sentenced to death under the recently-introduced Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 376(a)(b) (raping a minor under 12 years of age).
Mahendra Gond was also found guilty under IPC Section 363 (kidnapping), for which he was awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment, besides being fined Rs 5,000, Mr Singh said.
The convict, drunk at the time, had gone to the girl's house on July 1, 2018 to meet her father.
After some time, Mahendra Gond came back and found the girl alone on a cot. He abducted her and took her to a nearby field where he raped and dumped her.
When the girl's father returned and did not find his daughter, the family launched a search for her. Later, they found her lying in the bushes.
The girl was seriously injured in the incident and was admitted to a hospital in New Delhi.
Mahendra Gond was arrested by the police and a charge sheet was filed against him.