The Madras High Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence awarded to a man convicted of raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl in Chennai in February 2017, PTI reported.

In February, a Mahila court in Kanchipuram’s Chengalpet awarded the death penalty to 23-year-old engineering graduate S Dhasvanth. The High Court rejected his plea challenging the trial court’s order.

The child was seen playing in her apartment building in Chennai’s Mugalivakkam locality before she went missing on February 6, 2017. The police arrested Dhasvanth, who lived in the same apartment complex, a few days later after they caught him lying about his alibi. Dhasvanth had burnt the child’s body and left it on a highway after killing her.

He was found guilty for offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

In his appeal before the High Court, Dhasvanth claimed that the trial court judge had erred by finding him guilty based on conjectures, PTI reported.

Dhasvanth has also been charged with killing his mother at their home in December 2017 while he was out on bail. He allegedly fled with his mother’s jewellery after murdering her. He was caught four days later in Mumbai. Dhasvanth reportedly confessed to the murder and said he had also planned to kill his father.