A special court in Rajasthan's Bhilwara has sentenced two men to death for the horrific crime of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl last August. The judge, Anil Gupta, categorized the case as exceptionally rare due to the brutality involved, where the perpetrators burned the victim alive in a coal furnace.

The men - brothers, identified as Kalu and Kanha, from the Kaleblia tribe - were found guilty Saturday by a POCSO, or Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, court that also acquitted seven other individuals, including three women, who were accused of destroying evidence.

The acquittal is likely to face a challenge in the Rajasthan High Court. Additionally, it has been reported that two out of the three women acquitted are married to Kalu and Kanha, the convicted perpetrators of the crime.

Special Public Prosecutor Mahaveer Singh Kishnawat told reporters, "Kalu and Kanha were awarded death penalty." On Saturday, he confirmed they had been found guilty of raping and killing the girl."

The heinous crime took place on August 3rd of last year. The young girl had gone to graze her family's cattle herd when she was subjected to sexual assault.

The incident occurred in the Shahpura area of Kotri tehsil, situated in Bhilwara district.

When she did not return home, her family went looking for her. Her brother had said, "We started looking for her in the afternoon when the cattle returned but my sister didn't return with them.

Hours into the search, at 10 pm, they saw smoke rising from a furnace despite rainfall. When they examined it, they found torn clothes and slippers nearby and alerted the police.

The authorities recovered bones and partially burnt body parts from the furnace. Subsequent forensic analysis of these remains suggested that the young girl may have been burned alive.

"Forensic examination report suggested the girl was alive before being burnt in the furnace. She could (have been) unconscious but she was alive," a senior police officer said. The investigation also suggested the girl was knocked unconscious after the rape by hitting her head with a stick.

Stung into action by a wave of political criticism - Rajasthan was then ruled by the Congress, which was attacked by the Bharatiya Janata Party - the police filed a 400+ page chargesheet within 30 days.