INDIA: KARNATAKA HC CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE TO MAN WHO KILLED FIVE INCLUDING THREE OF HIS MINOR CHILDREN

June 13, 2023:

The man who killed five people including three minor children has been given a death sentence by a division bench of the Dharwad Bench of the High Court of Karnataka, Outlook India reported on June 10, 2023.
According to the reports by PTI, the HC has also issued several directions to the prosecution in cases where it is seeking the death penalty.
The bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj and Justice G Basavaraja said, "The atrocity of the crime resulting in five deaths including 3 children below 10 years of age and the brutality with which the same has been committed, leaves us no option but to confirm the order of death sentence passed by the trial court, which we do with a heavy heart. This in our considered opinion qualifies the test of rarest of rare cases requiring the award of death penalty," as they disposed of two petitions filed by the convict and the State. 
The HC had reserved the judgement on the petitions after completing the hearing on November 22, 2022. But it had sought several pieces of information including certain records and reports. 
These records, the court said were necessary to issue directions to be followed in all cases where the prosecution seeks for award of the death penalty.
The accused Byluru Thippaiah, a labourer from Kenchanagudda Halli in Kampli, Hosapete, Ballari, suspected his wife was having an affair which led to quarrels.
They had four children, and Thippaiah declared that only one of them was born to him. On February 25, 2017, he attacked his wife, Pakkeeramma with a chopper.
He also attacked his sister-in-law Gangamma and his children Pavithra, Nagaraj and Rajappa. All five succumbed to their injuries. 
The Sessions Court at Ballari which conducted the trial against him, examined 36 witnesses and 51 material objects before finding him guilty and awarded the death sentence on December 3, 2019, under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and directed him "to be hung till death."