Kolkata, Sep 21 : After a trial lasting five years the Purulia district and session court awarded the death sentence to Mangala, the mother of a three-and a half-year girl and her paramour Sanatan Thakur for killing the child by piercing her body with seven needles. Terming the murder as a 'rarest of the rare' case and as it demands exemplary punishment the judge Ramesh Kumar Pradhan passed the death sentence on the duo. The incident happened at Nadiapara village under Mofossol police station in Purulia. It came to light in July 2016 when the little girl was admitted to Deben Mahato Sadar Hospital in Purulia with cough and cold. Examining the child, the doctors came to know that needles were pierced into different parts of her body including her genitals. The child was immediately shifted to SSKM hospital where she died. Investigations revealed that Sanatan who was an exorcist used the child as a sex toy and practised black magic on her. Mangala who didn't like the child left her husband and stayed with Sanatan with the girl. She helped Sanatan in practising black magic. Mangala and Sanatan had fled to Uttar Pradesh from where they were arrested by the police. Awarding the punishment, the judge said that the mother's lap is considered the safest place for a child but here the mother had failed to protect the child. As a mother, Mangala failed to protect her child and the girl was sexually abused and so this deserves exemplary punishment. Sanatan was charged with rape under section 37, section 327 of the 2012 POCSO Act for physically and mentally abusing the child and under IPC section 302 for murder and under section 306 for attempt to murder. /IANS