The enormity and heinousness of the crime defy comprehension. The sheer proportion of it, the ganging up behind the act by household employees and the manner in which it was finally carried out, set an instance of the human mind working at its diabolical worst. Words are not enough to condemn it.

The vicious social phenomenon of rape and murder of minor girls was made the most poignant in Shazneen's case.

That said, society cannot remain a silent onlooker to such ghastly incidents. Minor girls must be allowed to grow without the trauma and terror administered by the perverted minds devoid of any human sensibilities.

From the very beginning, we have been highlighting it as a type of crime that must be eliminated to ensure the security of a highly vulnerable group -- minor girls.

The crime, the trial and the verdict have a symbolic value and deeper social message. The snuffing out of a budding life under the most unfortunate circumstances showed that such crime is no respecter of caste, creed and social standing. It can happen in a slum or a posh area. So, as we express our satisfaction with the conclusion of the trial and the handing down of the death sentence to the accused, we expect the wider significance of it not to get lost on society. The judgment should act as a strong deterrent against such criminality in future.

There is another social implication too. The law-abiding citizen's confidence in the judicial system will be restored to a great extent by virtue of this verdict.

Despite the high profile nature of the case and the wide coverage it received in the press, the trial has been this long-drawn. So there is a lesson to be learned from it. The speed of trial of all cases of rape and murder of minors must be accelerated so that justice is not delayed. Society must deal with the criminals who pose a dire threat to the lives of the innocents.