New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the death sentence of a 30-year-old man convicted in a case of rape and murder of a 19-year-old engineering student in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The convict had moved the top court against the Jharkhand High Court order confirming his conviction and death penalty in the case.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Pankaj Mithal and Ujjal Bhuyan stayed the death penalty while hearing an appeal filed by convict against the High Court order.
The bench directed the registry to acquisition records of the case from the trial court and the High Court along with the soft copy.
“Death sentence awarded shall remain stayed. The registry to acquisition records from the trial court and the high court along with the soft copy,” directed the bench.
Victim was raped, strangled and then set on fire on December 15, 2016.
The victim was raped, strangled and then set on fire on December 15, 2016. A police complaint was lodged by the father of the victim and the matter was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The trial court awarded death penalty to the accused in the case in December 2019.
High Court confirmed the death sentence calling it a ‘horrendous act’
The High Court had on September 9 confirmed the order of the trial court and while confirming the death sentence, it had terming the crime as by the convict a “horrendous act”.
Will fail victim and society if capital punishment is not awarded in such cases: High Court
“Life of a bright young girl aged 19 years who was studying in an engineering college, was snuffed out in a most barbaric manner… is established by the post mortem examination report duly proved by the doctors who formed the medical board to conduct the autopsy over the dead body of the victim,” the High Court had said and had added, “We will fail the victim and the society if capital punishment is not awarded in such cases. Horrendous act of the appellant demands capital punishment under section 302 (murder)of the IPC (Indian Penal Code)”.
