11 September 2024 :

The Indian state of West Bengal on September 3, 2024 passed a law, the Aprajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, which introduces the death penalty for rape cases that result in the victim’s death or leave them in a vegetative state.
The bill, passed unanimously by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, received support from both the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The bill’s passage comes in the wake of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal on August 9, 2024, an incident that triggered widespread protests across India.
The West Bengal government introduced the bill in response to the public outcry, aiming to impose stricter penalties for sexual offences and expedite the justice process.
The bill introduces significant amendments to the existing Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and other related legislation governing sexual offenses in India.
The recent case of the August 9 rape and murder in Kolkata would fall under the new provision. Similarly, past rape cases that shook the nation, such as that of Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse who was sexually assaulted in 1973 and remained in a vegetative state for over 41 years until her 2015 death, would also be classified under this criterion.
Additionally, the bill drastically shortens the timelines for processing sexual offenses, requiring investigations to be completed within 21 days and trials within 30 days, compared to the two-month period allowed under the BNS, aiming to ensure swifter justice.
While the West Bengal government hails the Aprajita Bill as a “model and historic” law, human rights organizations like Amnesty International have raised serious concerns.
“The death penalty is never the solution, nor would it offer a ‘quick fix’ to prevent violence against women,” said Aakar Patel, Chair of the Board at Amnesty International. He pointed out that neither the Justice Verma Committee, formed in 2012 to reform India’s laws on sexual violence, nor the Law Commission of India have supported the death penalty for such crimes.
Amnesty International stressed that systemic reforms, rather than harsher punishments, are necessary to address the root causes of sexual violence. “What is actually needed is far-reaching procedural and institutional reform that deals with the root causes of crime and puts emphasis on its prevention,” Patel added, urging the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the Kolkata case without resorting to capital punishment.

05 December 2024 :

A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to death on charges of drug trafficking, triggering panic and despair among his family members who have pleaded for clemency, PTI reported on December 4, 2024.
Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada on December 4 confirmed receiving a letter in this regard from the Indian consulate in Saudi Arabia via the district administration.
"The letter said Zaid Junaid, a resident of Rachauti village under the Mundali police station area, has been sentenced to death by a court in Mecca for drug smuggling. His family members have been informed about the option of filing a mercy plea," the SSP said.
A notice was also pasted at the entrance of the family house to ensure they were aware of the situation.
Zaid's father Zubair, a farmer, and mother Rehana became inconsolable on hearing the news.
His elder brother Suhail said, "My father has already requested the Indian government to file a mercy plea with the Saudi authorities. The application was submitted on December 3." Aged around 35 and the second of seven brothers, Zaid moved to Saudi Arabia in 2018 to work as a driver for a company.
Initially employed by one firm, he later joined Al-Zafar Company, his family members said.
His troubles began when his vehicle was stolen, and was recovered by Saudi police three days later. Subsequently, the vehicle got damaged in a road accident, leading his employer to file a lawsuit to recover the costs.
Unable to bear the financial burden, Zaid left the company and began working as the personal driver for a Saudi police officer, the family said.
However, three months into his new job, Zaid was allegedly implicated in a drug smuggling case after police claimed to have found 700 gm of narcotics from the vehicle he was driving, the family said.
He was arrested on January 15, 2023, and has been imprisoned at the Jeddah Central Jail since then.
"My brother has been framed. He was just doing his job as a driver. We hope the Indian government intervenes and saves his life," Suhail said.
Zaid's father Zubair said, "We've never faced such trouble before. All we want now is Zaid to return alive." Another elder brother of Zaid, Naeem Khan Faisal, who also works as a driver in Saudi Arabia, is in touch with the family to the coordinate efforts for his release.

11 December 2024 :

The Bombay High Court on December 9, 2024 set aside the death penalty granted to the key accused by a lower court for the murder of four members of a family, including two children, 27 years ago in Pune.
A bench of Justices Bharati H Dangre and Manjusha A Deshpande dismissed a plea by the state government seeking confirmation of the death sentence granted by a Pune court to Bhagwat Bajirao Kale in 2021 citing insufficient evidence to uphold the conviction.
The High Court found that Kale “does not deserve the death sentence,” and allowed his appeal against the Pune court order. The high court also set aside the finding of his conviction and death sentence through the December 14, 2021, judgement of the Pune court. “The appellant Bhagwat Kale is entitled to be set at liberty forthwith,” the bench noted.
While overturning Kale’s death sentence, the HC observed that no conclusive case was made to confirm his guilt, ultimately acquitting him of charges including murder, robbery, and criminal trespass.
The case against Bhagwan Kale relied heavily on circumstantial evidence.
In its judgement, the Pune court observed, “The conscience of society and even humanhood is shocked by such a brutal and barbaric act. There is a need to give a deterrent message. The society also expects the same. The accused, committing such a barbaric act is a menace to the harmony of society. Accordingly, the accused deserves to be awarded with the capital sentence”.
On May 15, 1997, Ramesh Jaykumar Patil, 55, Vijaya Kumari alias Vijaya Patil, 47, Pooja Patil, 13, and Manjunath Patil, 10, were murdered at their residence. The Patils, who were from Karnataka’s Hubli, lived in a rented apartment where Kale’s wife Geeta worked as a domestic help.
As per the prosecution, Kale, Geeta, and their relative Sahebrao killed the family and fled with cash and silver ornaments worth nearly Rs 49 lakh.
They were arrested in September 1997. However, Kale and Sahebrao escaped police custody while being taken to the court. Sahebrao was rearrested in 2001.
Geeta was sentenced to life imprisonment and Sahebrao was awarded the death penalty by the Pune Court, prompting them to approach the Bombay High Court, claiming they were minors when they committed the crime. The High Court ordered their release in the case.
Following Kale’s rearrest in 2009, a trial was conducted against him and he was convicted by the Pune court in 2021. He approached the Bombay High Court in 2023.

17 June 2024 :

The Madras high court on June 14, 2024 set aside the conviction as well as death sentence imposed on seven people and life sentences imposed on two more in the 2013 murder case of neurosurgeon SD Subbiah near Billroth Hospital in Chennai.
All nine appellants have been set free.
A bench of justice MS Ramesh and justice Sunder Mohan, acquitted all nine accused by allowing their criminal appeals.
At the time of writing, the court had not issued its order and no oral orders were made on the reasons for acquittal.
The principal sessions court judge IS Alli in August 2021 had awarded the death penalty to seven accused: P Ponnusamy, his sons P Basil and P Boris, B William, James Sathish Kumar, E Murugan and S Selva Prakash.
The lower court had awarded life imprisonment to H Yesurajan and Ponnusamy’s wife Mary Pushpam. One accused, P Iyyapan who had turned approver was released without punishment by the sessions court.
One of the accused B William, is an advocate whose bail petition was rejected by the Supreme Court in May 2018.
All the accused moved the High Court with appeals seeking to acquit them from the murder charges. The court bench ordered for the nine appellants to be released from prison.
“All of them have been given relief,” said one of the lawyers of the accused who did not want to be named. “A family of four are accused A1 to A4, A5 and A6 are their friends. We argued strongly that unrelated people have been named in this case. High court may have considered that and acquitted all of them. We have to wait for the full judgement. They have been ordered to be released.”
According to the prosecution, henchmen murdered the 58-year-old doctor in full public view while he was walking out of Chennai’s Billroth Hospital after work towards his parked car on the evening of September 14, 2013. A land dispute with his family over a 2.4-acre plot at the doctor’s native of Anjugramam village in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district allegedly led to the crime.
Three people wielding machetes had attacked the doctor on his head and neck. He suffered more than 20 cuts across his body, the prosecution said.
CCTV cameras installed at a nearby apartment captured the brutal attack. Nine days later, the doctor succumbed to his injuries.

01 April 2024 :

In a shocking turn of events in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, a man sentenced to death thrice for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl was acquitted after 11 years, Law Trend reported on March 30, 2024.
The case took a dramatic twist when DNA evidence revealed that the semen found on the victim did not match the accused, leading to his release.
Anokhilal, a farm laborer from Khandwa, was initially sentenced to death by a special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act on March 4, 2013, when he was 21. The case, notable for its swift police investigation and trial within a month, resulted in the harshest punishment for the heinous crime. Despite DNA tests indicating the presence of another man’s semen, Anokhilal was sentenced to death. The court’s decision on March 4, 2013, was based on evidence including Anokhilal being the last person seen with the girl, his hair found in the girl’s hand, and skin tissue under her fingernails.
Bloodstains from the girl were also found on Anokhilal’s underwear. However, on March 19, 2024, Judge Prachi Patel of the special court found several discrepancies in the DNA report during a review petition, leading to Anokhilal’s acquittal. The judge pointed out errors in sample collection, sealing, and the report itself.
The court emphasized that the semen belonged to another individual and noted that a thorough investigation was necessary before sentencing Anokhilal, considering the DNA evidence suggested the involvement of another person in the crime. The court also dismissed the police theory that Anokhilal fleeing was a critical piece of evidence, stating that he might have returned simply to collect his wages. The case began on January 31, 2013, when a tribal man reported his 9-year-old daughter missing. Her body was discovered the next day in the field of a local resident, Raghunath Gurjar. The postmortem revealed unnatural sex, rape, and strangulation. Anokhilal, previously convicted for unnatural sex with a minor and theft, was charged based on these past offenses.

01 October 2024 :

A special court in Arunachal Pradesh handed the death sentence on September 26, 2024 to a hostel warden convicted for sexual assault of 21 students at a government-run residential school from 2014 to 2022.
Special judge Jaweplu Chai, who announced the death sentence for warden Yumken Bagra, also sentenced former headmaster Singtung Yorpen and Hindi teacher Marbom Ngomdir to 20 years for abetment of the offence under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and failing to report it. Some of the students had reported the abuse to Yorpen, but he asked them to keep quiet so that the reputation of the school is not sullied.
“We are happy with the verdict as the court heard our pleas for stringent and exemplary punishment,” said Oyam Bingepp, who appeared for the 21 children before the Pocso special court.
“This is the first death sentence in India given to an accused under Pocso Act for aggravated penetrative sexual assault of victims in which the victims had not died,” Bingepp added.
Jaweplu Chai convicted the three under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Pocso Act.
Two other accused, Tajung Yorpen, another teacher in the same school, and Daniel Pertin, an acquaintance of the hostel warden, were acquitted.
Yorpen, who was also accused of sexually assaulting one student, was acquitted after the victim turned hostile in court while Pertin, who was accused of giving shelter to the hostel warden prior to his arrest, was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The case came to light in November 2022, when a man filed a complaint against Bagra for sexually assaulting, harassing, and attempting to rape his 12-year-old twin daughters at the residential school.
A special investigation team (SIT) which probed the case found that Bagra sexually assaulted at least 21 minors, including six boys aged 6-14 years, between 2014 and 2022 during his tenure as hostel warden at the school.
The chargesheet, filed in July last year, accused the warden of drugging students before assaulting them and also threatening them against reporting the assault. The SIT said six of Bagra’s victims had unsuccessfully attempted to die by suicide.
Bagra has been convicted under sections 328, 292 and 506 (administering poison/harmful substance with the intention of committing an offence, showing obscene material and criminal intimidation) of the IPC and sections 6,10 and 12 of Pocso Act that pertain to aggravated penetrative sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Ngomdir, who was a female teacher in the school, has been convicted under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and sections 17 and 21 (1) of POCSO Act for abetment of offence and failing to report an offence. According to the prosecution, the victims had narrated their ordeal to her, but she didn’t report it to higher authorities, which allowed the abuse to continue.
Yorpen, who was the headmaster of the government residential school at the time the assaults took place, has been convicted under sections 17 (for abetment of an offence) and 21 (2) (for failing to report an offence) of the IPC.

29 January 2024 :

A district court in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur town on January 3, 2024  sentenced to death two men, including one from Bangladesh, for carrying out the Shramjivi Express train blast in 2005 that left at least 14 people dead and 62 injured.
A fine of Rs 5 lakh each was also imposed on the convicts, who were pronounced guilty on December 23.
“The court of additional sessions court judge Rajesh Kumar Rai awarded death sentences to Hilal alias Hilaluddin and Nafikul Vishwas convicted in the Shramjivi train blast case,” District government counsel Satish Pandey said.
While Hilaluddin is a native of Bangladesh, Vishwas is from West Bengal.
Local administration had made tight security arrangements and the convicts were taken to jail in a police vehicle after the court announced the quantum of punishment.
The explosion had ripped apart a coach of the Patna-New Delhi train near the Jaunpur station in Uttar Pradesh at around 5.00 pm on July 28, 2005.
According to the prosecution, RDX was kept in the toilet of the coach. RDX has been used in many terrorist attacks in the country, including the Ayodhya train bombing of June 2000.
Witnesses had reported that two young men had boarded the train at Jaunpur with a white suitcase. Shortly afterwards, both leapt out of the moving train without their suitcase and the explosion occurred a few minutes later.

19 November 2024 :

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on November 15, 2024 commuted the death sentence of a man accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl into life imprisonment, observing that in a life sentence, there was a possibility of retribution but death penalty was “unique in its absolute rejection of the potential of convict to rehabilitate and reform.”
Vishal Bhamore was convicted on July 10, 2019 – over a month after the girl went missing while taking a trip to the local store to buy gutka for her father. A missing persons’ report was filed on June 9.
Her body was found on June 10 in a local drain and a medical report eventually confirmed she was raped.
According to investigators, Bhamore was initially part of the party that went out in search of the girl but later absconded.
While arguing against the death penalty, Bhamore’s lawyer, senior advocate Uma Kant Sharma, said the case didn’t fall under “rarest of rare” category, and therefore, imposing the extreme penalty was uncalled for.
While commuting the sentence, a Bench of Justices Vivek Agrawal and Devnarayan Mishra said the Supreme Court has ruled that first, for imposing the death penalty, a case must clearly fall within the ambit of “rarest of rare”, and second, the alternative option of life imprisonment must be unquestionably foreclosed.
“In life sentences, there is a possibility of achieving deterrence, rehabilitation and retribution in different degrees. But the same does not hold true for the death penalty. It is unique in its absolute rejection of the potential of convicts to rehabilitate and reform. It extinguishes life and thereby terminates the being, therefore, puts an end to anything to do with the life. This is the big difference between two punishments,” the HC said.
The court said that for satisfying the second aspect of rarest of rare doctrine, the court will have to provide clear evidence as to why the convict is not fit for any kind of reformatory and rehabilitation scheme.
“We find that there is no criminal history of the appellant. The Learned Trial Court has not taken this aspect into consideration. It has only said that since such offences are on rise against minor daughters, which are indicative of a perverted mind, then with a view to save the dreams of minor children, conclusive punishment is required to be given to such convicts,” the court said.

15 October 2024 :

The Allahabad high court on September 27, 2024 commuted the death sentence of a father-son duo, convicted in a 2005 double murder case, to life imprisonment.
A Bench of Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi and Justice Ajai Kumar Srivastava upheld their murder conviction but ruled that the case did not qualify as a 'rarest of rare' to warrant the death penalty. The court noted that the case was based on circumstantial evidence and that the convicts had no prior criminal history, Bar and Bench reported.
The case dates back to 2005 when the deceased, Krishna Kumar Gupta, entered into an agreement with a builder to construct shops and an office in Hazratganj.
Vijay Sharma, who owned a nearby security agency, frequently threatened Gupta, claiming the land belonged to Kuber Finance, which owed him money. Sharma demanded three shops in return for settling the debt.
On April 16, 2005, during a heated argument, Vijay Sharma’s son, Dheeraj, handed him a gun. Shots were fired, killing Gupta on the spot. Gupta's son Kapil later died from his injuries.
The trial court had sentenced the duo to death for the murders.
Setting aside the trial court order, Allahabad HC said, “The mere fact that a death sentence can be awarded does not mean that it has to be awarded. Particularly, when the alternative sentence of life imprisonment is an adequate punishment.”

07 October 2024 :

The high court in Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala, has commuted the death sentence awarded to Rajith, the prime convict in the 2013 murder case of a four-year-old girl in Chottanikkara, to life imprisonment, Times of India reported on September 14, 2024.
The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove that the act constituted culpable homicide, instead finding it to be an act done to cause bodily injury likely to result in death. The court also reduced the sentences of the second and third accused, Rani, the mother of the deceased girl and Basil K Vasu, a friend of both accused from double life imprisonment to single life imprisonment, with a fine of Rs 75,000 each.
The bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and V M Syamkumar delivered the judgment on the appeal filed by the accused challenging the conviction and sentence of the trial court.
The prosecution's case alleged that the accused brutally killed Rani's four-year-old daughter on Oct 29, 2013, viewing the girl as an obstacle to their wayward lifestyle. The deceased was Rani's daughter from a former marriage. Although Rani had reported the girl missing to the Chottanikkara police, it was soon discovered that the missing report was a ploy to mislead the investigation.
The girl's body was later found on a property in Kadayikkavalavu.
It was also revealed that Rajith, Rani, and Basil lived together in a rented house under pretences, with Rajith presenting Rani as his wife and Basil as his wife's brother.
It was alleged that Rajith attempted to assault the girl and threw her against a wall, causing the back of her head to hit the wall, which resulted in her death.
The special court in Ernakulam had initially imposed the death sentence on Rajith and awarded double life imprisonment to Rani and Basil, along with a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh each.
In considering the appeal, the division bench observed that while the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the appellants conspired and committed the offences, the motive presented — that the accused sought to rid themselves of the girl who was perceived as an obstacle — was deemed illogical. The prosecution failed to prove that Rajith had the intention to kill the girl. Consequently, the bench concluded that the offence amounted to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rather than murder.

12 September 2024 :

The Patna high court on September 11, 2024 commuted the death penalty of four persons convicted for the 2013 blasts targeting Narendra Modi's poll rally in Patna to 30 years of imprisonment.
A division bench comprising justices Ashutosh Kumar and Jitendra Kumar also upheld the life imprisonment awarded to two other convicts by a special NIA court.
A series of explosions had rocked Patna's Gandhi Maidan and nearby locations ahead of and during a massive rally that was addressed by Modi, then the Gujarat chief minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate, in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The explosions left six people dead and 89 others injured.
A special NIA court convicted nine accused on Nov 1, 2021, of whom four - Imteyaz Alam, Haider Ali, Numan Ansari and Md Mujibullah Ansari - were sentenced to death, while two - Md Umer Siddiqui and Azharuddin Qureshi - were handed life imprisonment.
In its 83-page judgment, the HC bench said "a plain and co-referential reading of evidence makes it very clear that all six appellants are guilty of offences of murder and offences punishable under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and Explosive Substances Act, 2001".
The court, however, commuted the death sentence of the four convicts, observing that they "are persons of young age with no established trans-border contacts, and there was no attempt by them to provoke any retaliatory action".
The accused had their links with a banned terrorist outfit -- Indian Mujahideen.

10 September 2024 :

The Odisha High Court on August 28, 2024 commuted death sentence of one Nabin Dehury to imprisonment for life till his natural death without remission or commutation.
Nabin was convicted in the triple murder case in which Pirobati Behera was killed along with her daughter Sabitri Sahu and son-in-law Giridhari Sahu at village Lapada under Mahulpali police station in Sambalpur district on October 21, 2020.
On August 9, 2023, the court of Additional Sessions Judge, Kuchinda sentenced Nabin to death with a direction that he be hanged by neck till he is dead and to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The trial court held the case warranted capital punishment to meet the ends of justice as it involved an act of extreme brutality and magnitude of the cruelty thrust in committing the crime bringing it to the category of rarest of rare case.
However, the division bench of Justice SK Sahoo and Justice Chittaranjan Dash said, “We are of the view that public opinion or the society’s expectation may be to confirm the death sentence of appellant Nabin Dehury since it is a case of triple murder and two deceased were ladies, but it must be remembered that such opinion or expectation is neither an objective circumstance relating to crime, nor the criminal, and therefore, this court must exercise judicial restraint and play a balancing role.”
The appellant comes from a rural and economically poor background and on account of property dispute and after losing the ancestral property in the court battle, he had done away with the lives of three deceased. The appellant is having a criminal antecedent of a magistrate triable offence in which trial is yet to be over and therefore, he cannot be said to be a hardened criminal, the bench observed.
“We are of the humble view that death penalty would be disproportionate, unwarranted and life imprisonment would be a more appropriate sentence,” the bench ruled.
The bench also directed for payment of compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the minor son and daughter of deceased Giridhar Sahu and Sabitri Sahu, Rs 5 lakh to daughter of deceased Pirobati Behera and Rs 2.5 lakh each to her grandchildren through Odisha Victim Compensation (Amendment) Scheme, 2018.

24 July 2024 :

The Kerala High Court has commuted the death penalty imposed upon Thomas Chacko (aka Shibu) of Keekozhur, Ranni, to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment without remission for murdering his nephews aged 3 and 7 over a property dispute, Manorama Online reported on July 23,2024.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh upon the accused which shall be paid to the mother of the deceased children.
The division bench comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Syam Kumar V M observed that the constitutional courts have the power to substitute the death penalty imposed by the trial court to imprisonment for a fixed term without remission in appropriate cases.
The court was dealing with Shibu's appeal and the session's court reference for confirmation of the sentence. "We cannot lose sight of the heinous crime committed by the appellant/accused against two innocent children aged 7 and 3. The brutal manner in which the crime was committed on the children, who were the children of his own brother and in relation to whom he occupied a position of trust, certainly warrants a harsh punishment,"
"Taking cue from the judgments of the Supreme Court which empower a constitutional court to substitute the death sentence imposed by the trial court with a fixed term sentence without remission, we feel that on the facts and circumstances in the instant case, a sentence of rigorous imprisonment for a period of 30 years without remission would serve the ends of justice,” the court said in its judgement.
The incident happened on October 27, 2013.
Melbin, 7, was playing in front of the house around 7.30 am when Shibu stabbed him with a knife. He threw chilli powder in his sister-in-law's face when she tried to stop him and went on to kill Mebin, 3, inside the house.
The police had conducted a flawless investigation that helped the trial court give maximum punishment.Shibu had confessed to the killings during the trial. The probe team proved that the murder was premeditated as Shibu had kept diesel ready in his vehicle to set the house on fire.The knife used in killing the minors was bought from Ranni.They could also prove vendetta with the property case.

29 May 2024 :

The Uttarakhand High Court has commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of repeatedly raping his five-year-old orphaned cousin, Lawbeat reported on May 28, 2024.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Alok Kumar Verma, reduced the punishment to twenty years of rigorous imprisonment, stating that "the ends of justice would be met" with this commutation.
The court said “In the present case, there is nothing on record to indicate that the appellant was having any criminal record nor can it be said that he will be a grave danger to the society at large. It is true that his act is heinous and requires to be condemned but at the same time it cannot be said that it is the rarest of the rare case where the accused requires to be eliminated from the society. Hence, there is no justifiable reason to impose the death sentence.”
The brief facts of the case are as follows:
On April 3, 2021, police personnel left for patrolling. They were informed by a secret informant near ITBP that a 5-year-old girl had been raped by her Nepali step brother. Upon reaching the scene, they found a woman with a distressed girl in her lap. The woman reported that she had found the girl hiding in a large plastic pipe on her terrace. The girl disclosed that she lived with her brother named Janak Bahadur, who beat her, removed her pajamas, and did "dirty things" to her, causing pain and fear. The girl pleaded not to be sent back to him.
The Sub-Inspector confirmed the girl's account. They learned that her cousin brother (accused) lived nearby. The police arrested him and the victim and accused’s two children were handed over to the Administrator of Ujjawala Rehabilitation Center.
An FIR was lodged on April 3, 2021, against the accused under Sections 323 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 5 read with Section 6 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The victim was medically examined on and her age was later determined to be between 5 and 6 years by medical experts.
The victim's statement was recorded on April 7, 2021.
Evidence, including the victim's and the accused's clothing and biological samples, was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory.
The trial court charged the accused under Sections 323 and 376 AB of the IPC and Section 5 read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012.
The accused, in his defence, admitted to being the victim's stepbrother and to his arrest but denied the allegations of abuse.
The forensic report dated January 13, 2022, did not detect semen or blood on the evidence. The defence argued that the lack of physical evidence and independent witnesses, as well as logistical improbabilities in the victim's account, warranted acquittal.
A thorough investigation ensued, resulting in a charge under Sections 376-AB and 323 of the IPC, along with Section 5 read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act. Despite claims of innocence by the accused and his assertion that he had been searching for the missing victim, he was convicted.
The High Court scrutinised the testimony of the woman who rescued the victim, finding it unequivocal and clear. Both the rescuer and the Sub-Inspector testified that the victim disclosed the assaults by Bahadur.
The NGO administrator corroborated the prosecution's case by confirming the children's custody transfer.
The Court also evaluated the victim's testimony, recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC, where she consistently described the abuse. Medical evidence supported her account, with the examining doctor reporting injuries and a torn hymen.
Despite the defence's challenges, the Court concluded that the victim's evidence was trustworthy and well-corroborated. The Bench upheld the conviction, noting that “The reformation and rehabilitation of a convict is a mitigating circumstance for the purposes of awarding punishment. But, the prosecution has not placed any material or evidence before the courts to arrive this conclusion that reformation, rehabilitation and social re-integration of the appellant into society are not possible.”
Furthermore, the court's ruling to impose a lesser penalty in the case of the appellant, despite the heinous nature of the crime, was justified by the presence of several mitigating circumstances. The key points of mitigation included:
The appellant was aged 31-32 years at the time of the offence;
He was a labourer;
He did not have any criminal antecedents;
He has a daughter and a son, who are still very young; Their mother has died; There is no one else except the appellant for their care and maintenance.
It cannot be said that he would be a menace to the society in future if the death sentence is not awarded to him.
Therefore, considering Bahadur's young age, lack of prior criminal record, and responsibility for his minor children, the Court found the death sentence disproportionate. The court ruled that Bahadur does not pose a future menace to society warranting capital punishment.
”We confirm the conviction of the appellant on all counts," the court declared, "but the death sentence imposed for the offence under Section 376-AB IPC is commuted to rigorous imprisonment for a term of twenty years,” it conclusively ruled.

29 April 2024 :

The Kerala High Court has modified the death sentence awarded to Narendra Kumar, a native of Uttar Pradesh and the sole accused in the Parampuzha triple murder case, to life imprisonment without remission for 20 years for the murder offence, Times of India reported on April 26, 2024.
Meanwhile, the bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and V M Syam Kumar upheld the conviction and the sentences for other offences such as robbery and housebreaking.
The bench pronounced its judgment in the criminal appeal filed by Kumar challenging the conviction and the sentences awarded by the district and sessions court, Kottayam, and in the death sentence review (DSR) petition.
The prosecution case was that Kumar killed Praveen Lal, the owner of Wash World Laundry at Parampuzha, Kottayam, and his parents Lalasan and Prasanna Kumari at midnight on May 16, 2015.
Kumar, who was an employee in the laundry, committed the triple murder by inflicting injuries on their heads and necks using an axe and a knife, respectively. He then committed the robbery of a gold chain and ear studs that were worn by the deceased Prasanna Kumari, the latter by cutting her ear lobes. Thereafter, he trespassed into the neighbouring house and committed the theft of gold ornaments.
The trial court sentenced him to death by hanging for the offence of murder and also sentenced him to undergo double imprisonment for life for the offences of robbery and housebreaking. It was also ordered to pay Rs 3 lakh to Bipin Lal, the brother of deceased Praveen Lal, as per the victim compensation scheme.
The division bench on appeal stated that the death sentence was reserved only for those cases that qualify as the “rarest of the rare”. While the facts and circumstances proved against the accused point to his involvement in a gruesome triple murder, the bench would not go so far as to categorize it as the “rarest of the rare” to impose the death sentence on him.
The court also felt that the imposition of stricter terms of life imprisonment would strike the right balance between the conflicting interests of the accused and the public at large and go a long way towards sustaining public confidence in our legal system. Hence the bench modified the death sentenceposed on him.

22 March 2024 :

The Allahabad High Court has commuted the death sentence given to a man, who was convicted of raping and murdering a three-year-old girl in 2021, to 30-year jail term, PTI reported on March 5, 2024.
Commuting the death penalty, the court observed that the convict had no criminal history so "chances of his reformation" cannot be ruled out.
The bench comprising Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi partly allowed the criminal appeal of Dinesh Paswan who was awarded death sentence by the district court of Fatehpur.
Advocate Tanisha Jahangir Monir appearing for Paswan submitted that the appellant was falsely implicated merely on the basis of suspicion.
The case is of circumstantial evidence, the chain of which is incomplete, the advocate said.
"Place of incident was not fixed as the body of the deceased was not found at the alleged place of occurrence (the rented room of the appellant), admittedly (as per mother of the deceased) the body was found at her maternal grandparents' house, where the inquest was conducted," argued Monir.
After hearing the parties concerned, the court in its recent order said, "The offence is of a very heinous nature and committed in a gruesome manner." However, the court commuted the death sentence while observing, "The age of the accused as recorded in his statement under Section 313 CrPC on December 8, 2021 was 25 years, so the accused is a young person. It is also established from the evidence on record that he is married, having a child. There is neither any criminal history to the credit of the appellant-accused nor he is a previous convict so chances of his reformation cannot be ruled out. These are the mitigating circumstances."
An FIR was lodged by the mother of the child at Khaga police station of Fatehpur alleging that Dinesh Paswan enticed her daughter away to his room and committed the heinous crime and murdered her.
Paswan was awarded the death penalty on January 18, 2022 by the district court.

18 January 2024 :

The Dharwad bench of the High Court in Karnataka state has refused to confirm the death sentence imposed upon three people in a double murder case, observing that the case does not answer the test of ‘rarest of rare case’, TNN reported on January 15, 2024.
A division bench comprising Justices Sreenivas Harish Kumar and Ramachandra D Huddar imposed a life sentence and slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 each upon the three convicts - Babu, his brother Nagappa and their cousin Mutteppa for killing Sangeetha and Basavaraj.
The bench pointed out that the offenders are in the age group of 30-34 years and the mental status examination report issued by Dr Chandrashekar TR of Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences was not adverse and the doctor had indicated that they could reform.
The case of the prosecution was that Babu, a resident of Mamadapur in Chikodi taluk, Belagavi district, suspected that his wife Sangeetha was in an illicit relationship with Basavaraj.
On October 10, 2013, Babu, his brother Nagappa and two cousins — Mutteppa and a juvenile at that time — killed Sangeetha and Basavaraj.
On June 15, 2022, a sessions court at Belagavi awarded the death sentence to the trio. As a requirement of law in such instances where the death penalty is awarded, the matter was referred to the high court for confirmation. The trio also filed a separate appeal against their conviction.
After perusing the material on record, the division bench noted that what was disclosed was a well planned action.
The court said that if the relationship between the duo had developed one or two days before the incident took place, the claim that the murders were the result of the provocation would have been sustained. “The circumstances are such that Babu was aware of the relationship and had sufficient time to ponder over the same. He did not retort within a short duration of time. The evidence discloses a premeditated action. Accused 1 to 4 joined together, went near the house of Basavaraj, called him out of his house and then tied him to a tree. Then Sangeetha was brought from her house... She was also tied to the same tree. Babu brought sickles from his house. All these do not indicate a decision taken in haste under the state of provocation,” the bench noted.
Observing that it is inappropriate to say that Babu was not hurt by his wife’s conduct, it said, “He was hurt and there is no doubt about it. But being hurt, what he did thereafter assumes importance. The matter would have been different had he alone caused the death of his wife and her paramour. But accused 2 to 4 joined him.”

10 December 2024 :

A POCSO court in Baruipur of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas on December 5, 2024 awarded death sentence to Mustaqin, convicted of rape and murder of a minor girl from Jaynagar.
The verdict, which has come 61 days after the crime was reported, is a stark reminder to the trial in the rape and murder case of the RG Kar Hospital doctor that is continuing for more than four months.
Mustaqin's conviction was ordered by the Baruipur Sub-district Court Judge Subrata Chatterjee on December 5. The case was investigated by the West Bengal Police.
The investigation began after a case was registered against Mustaqin under the POCSO Act. The police formed an SIT on October 7 and chargesheet was submitted to the Baruipur court on October 30, which is 25 days after the incident.
The trial began in the fast-track court and nearly 36 people testified in the case. Finally, after hearing the statements of all parties and examining the evidence, the Baruipur POCSO court convicted Mustaqin on December 5.
The victim's family members are happy that the accused has been sentenced to death.
The victim, a class 4 student had gone for tuition on October 4. Her family was worried when she did not return home till late in the evening. After initial inquiries, they went to Jaynagar police station to report a missing person case but the police sent them to Kultali police station.
It was alleged that the police did not pay attention to the matter. Even when they went to report the complaint, the police allegedly did not give them a patient hearing. When they wanted to file an FIR, the police reportedly did not accept it. A thorough search for the missing minor girl began.
Finally, in the early hours, the body of the girl was recovered from a wetland near the minor's house. Multiple injury marks were found on her body.
At that time, the minor's family had alleged that the girl was raped and murdered before being dumped into a pond. Later, the family filed a written complaint at the Joynagar police station.
It has been alleged that the family first went to the Mahishmari police station to file a complaint and were told to go to the Joynagar police station instead of registering the complaint there. The Jaynagar police station again sent them to the Kultali police station.
The family claimed that the girl could have been saved had the police taken prompt action. After which, violence broke out in Jaynagar and Kultali.

02 December 2024 :

The 5th Additional District and Sessions Court in Mysuru has sentenced a man to death for the murders of his pregnant wife, two children, and mother, the Indian Express reported on November 28, 2024.
The accused, Manikantha Swamy of Chamegowdanahundi village in HD Kote, had committed the crime on April 28 in 2021, over suspicions about his wife’s fidelity. A tailor and partially disabled, Manikantha frequently accused his wife of having an affair and when a heated argument escalated, he doubted the paternity of their children.
Enraged, he used his crutch to fatally assault his wife, Gangamma, nine months pregnant, son Samrat (4), and mother Kempajamma. He had also strangled his 18-month-old son, Rohith.
The murders had shocked the village, and the accused had fled the scene. The next day, villagers discovered the victims and informed the police.
Inspector Anand N of Saragur police station led the investigation, culminating in the arrest of Manikantha.
Charges were filed under IPC Sections 498(A), 302, and 316.
Judge Gururaj Somakkalavar delivered the verdict after considering the evidence presented by government prosecutor BE Yogeshwara.
Manikantha was sentenced to death under IPC Section 302, along with a fine of Rs 5,000.
He also received 10 years imprisonment for causing the death of an unborn child under Section 316, and two years for cruelty under Section 498(A).

30 November 2024 :

Calling it a rarest of rare case, a Chinsurah fast track court on November 28, 2024 sentenced seven persons to death in a 2020 murder case.
On Oct 11 that year, the criminals killed 23-year-old Bishnu Mal, and dismembered his body into six pieces. The investigation revealed that the murder was a result of a love triangle.
What made judge Shibshankar Ghosh call it a rare case were the photos of the dismemberment that the killers clicked on a mobile phone. They then packed the body parts and dumped them in various places in Sheoraphuli and Baidyabati, Hooghly.
"The main accused, Bishal Das, and his associates, Ramkrishna Mondal, Raj Kumar Pramanick, Vinod Das, Ratan Bepari, Biplab Biswas, and Rathin Singha, were all convicted for the death sentence under IPC sections 302 and 120B, pertaining to murder and criminal conspiracy. Another accused, Mantu Ghosh, was convicted for seven years for trying to hide the body," said special prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee.
On November 25, the court found them guilty of the murder. Das and his associates abducted the victim on a motorcycle from in front of his house.
That night, they killed Mal in a house in the Champdani area. During the investigation, the police arrested all the criminals except Bishal. The arrested persons led the police to the dumping spots. However, Mal's head was not found until Bishal was captured. About a month after the murder, he was apprehended in a shooting incident in Jibantala in South 24 Parganas. He was taken into custody by the Chandernagore police. After questioning him, the plastic-wrapped head was recovered from a canal in Baidyabati.
Police said Mal loved a girl and was scheduled to marry her within one week before the murder. The girl's witness in the case proved to be the most important for the conviction, said Chatterjee. According to the police chargesheet, which was repeatedly highlighted by the court, Bishal severed the head of Mal's dead body and then, out of severe anger, kicked the body with force. Co-accused Kala then took out a chopper and handed it to Mal, who severed the head.
The chargesheet was filed on January 21, 2021, under IPC sections pertaining to murder, criminal conspiracy, and kidnapping against nine persons.
One of the accused turned approver and was eventually acquitted during the course of the trial. "The victim's parents and his sister used to attend the trials with a ‘We Want Justice' poster with them.
On November 28, after the verdict, they honoured the probe team and the prosecuting on the main road," said Chatterjee.
Amit Kumar Javalgi, CP Chandernagore and PP Bibhas Chatterjee also addressed the media hailing the verdict as a historic one. "The accused tried to destroy every evidence and even threatened the witnesses. "But Uttam Mohanti,the IO played an important role. He would be given a reward," said Javalgi.

12 November 2024 :

A Mangaluru court on November 7, 2024 awarded death sentences to three men after finding them guilty of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.
The incident occurred in 2021, at a tile factory in Thiruvail, on the outskirts of Mangaluru.
According to a report in Times of India, the court convicted Jayban Adivasi (24), Mukhesh Singh (23) from Panna district in MP; and Manish Tirki (36) from Ranchi in Jharkhand. The fourth accused, Muneem Singh from MP, who was on bail, is absconding. The court examined 30 witnesses and 74 documents.
According to the reports, the convicts lured the minor under the pretext of buying toffee and sexually assaulted her. When the child started screaming for help, one of the convicts strangled her to death. To further hide their crime, the convicts dumped the child’s body in a drain.
The report further stated that the fourth accused Muneem Singh was guarding the door.
The Judge convicted Jayaban, Mukesh and Manish for offences punishable under Sections 302, 376 (A) and (D), 377 and 120(B) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under Sections 5 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
They were also asked to pay a total of ₹1.2 lakh as compensation to the victim’s parents.
The parents are liable to get additional compensation of ₹3.8 lakh from the District Legal Services Authority under the Victim Compensation Scheme, the judge stated according to The Hindu.
Based on the complaint by the victim’s mother, Mangaluru rural police had registered a case under IPC Sections 120 (B), 366 (A), 376 (D) (B), 377, 302, 201, 34 along with Section 6 of POCSO act.

05 November 2024 :

A court in Rajasthan’s Udaipur on November 4, 2024 sentenced a man to death for raping and killing a nine-year-old girl.
Judge Sanjay Kumar Bhatnagar considered the crime committed by Kamlesh Singh serious and pronounced the death sentence to him.
The court also sentenced four years of imprisonment to his parents -- Ram Singh and Kishan Kanwar -- for hiding their son's crime, special public prosecutor Syed Hussain said.
The incident had happened on March 29, 2023. Kamlesh murdered the girl after raping her. He then cut her body into pieces and later concealed the body parts at a dilapidated building, he said.

24 October 2024 :

The Bombay High Court on October 1st, 2024 upheld the death penalty awarded to a Kolhapur man for murdering his mother by disembowelling her body to eat her body parts in 2017.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj K Chavan passed the judgment on pleas by state government seeking confirmation of death sentence awarded to Sunil Rama Kuchkoravi. He is presently lodged at Yerwada Central Prison.
“We confirm the sentence of death. The convict is informed about his right to take an appeal before the Supreme Court in 30 days. The convict not only murdered his mother but also removed her body parts and he was about to cook her heart and was about to eat it. This is a case of cannibalism and we found it worth it to be of the rarest of rare category. There is no scope for his reformation as his tendency is cannibalism. It is a barbaric grotesque murder of the mother,” the bench noted.
The prosecution claimed that Kuchkoravi murdered his 60-year-old mother Yallava Rama Kuchkoravi on the afternoon of August 28, 2017, in Makadwala Vasahat in Kolhapur city. He later desecrated the body and ate some of the organs after frying them in a pan.
In July 2021, the sessions court in Kolhapur convicted Kuchkoravi and sentenced him to be hanged to death.
The trial court observed it was “the rarest of the rare” cases and said it “shook the social conscience of the society.”
The sessions court also observed that there was no repentance or remorse in Kuchkoravi’s behaviour following committing the crime.
“The pain which she (the mother) had experienced cannot be explained in words. He has committed the offence in order to satisfy his lust for liquor. He forcibly eliminated the life of his helpless mother, which is the ultimate insult of motherhood,” additional sessions judge Mahesh Krishnaji Jadhav observed then.
The high court also sought psychiatric and a psychological report, as well as a probation welfare officer’s report of Kuchkoravi.
In February last year, the high court allowed Kuchkoravi to attend his daughter’s wedding with a police escort.

08 October 2024 :

A local court in Sangareddy district of Telangana on September 12, 2024 awarded death sentence to a man for raping and murdering a five-year-old girl in October 2023.
The convict Gaffar Ali (56) is a migrant labourer from Bihar.
He was sentenced to death by the district POCSO court judge K Jayanthi.
District SP Chennuri Rupesh said the trial was completed within 11 months after the crime was reported on October 16, 2023 in BDL Bhanur police station limits.
He said the convict and the victim’s parents used to work in a construction company in Bhanur.
When the parents left for work they left the five-year-old girl in the security guard’s room. Gaffar Ali who was in an inebriated condition took her away and offered a cool drink laced with liquor. Later, he took the girl to a cotton field and raped her. Fearing that she could identify him as the assailant, he strangled her to death.
The judge also asked the government to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s parents.
Rupesh appreciated the work of then SHO Ravindar Reddy, Public Prosecutors Anantha Rao Kulakarni, Krishna and others, which led to successful conviction in the case.

03 October 2024 :

A special POCSO court in Sambalpur on October 1^st, 2024 sentenced a man to death for raping and murdering an eight-year-old girl in Jamankira area of Sambalpur.
The court found Prashant Baghar guilty of raping and killing a minor girl in his village at Kasada under Jamankira police limits.
The court also directed Baghar to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh. In default of payment, he would undergo further one-year imprisonment, a government lawyer said.
In 2022, Prashant had raped the minor girl and hacked her to death. He had roamed around his village with her severed head.
Villagers raised a hue and cry over the ghastly activities. Baghar got panicked by the villagers’ shouting and threw the severed head before running away from the spot.
The villagers had chased, captured and tied him up. On being informed, a team from Jamankira police station had rushed to the scene and arrested him.

25 September 2024 :

A fast-track court (FTC) in Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) has sentenced a 32-year-old man from Etawah to death for his involvement in the murder of his three relatives, including a couple in their early 50s and their minor son, in a 12-year-old property dispute case.
The court had previously sentenced the primary accused in the case and two of his accomplices to death in Jan 2022.
According to additional district government counsel (ADGC) Manoj Kumar Verma, the main accused, Manish Yadav from Jalalpur Karhal area, had a dispute with his father Sukhram over property. He was also unhappy with his father's second marriage with Sushma Devi.
"On Oct 1, 2012, Manish along with three other relatives -- Virendra, Kamlesh alias Kallu and Sunil (all residents of Etawah) -- shot Sukhram, Sushma and their minor son Abhishek dead," the ADGC said.
Following a complaint by Sukhram's brother, Avadh Singh, a case was registered under relevant IPC sections, including 302 (murder). The four accused were sent to jail and a chargesheet was submitted in court weeks later.
In Jan 2022, on behalf of the prosecution, witnesses, including the plaintiff, investigator and doctor testified against Manish, Virendra and Kamlesh in court and they were sentenced to death. Sunil, however, contested the charges, claiming he was a minor at the time of the crime.
On September 17, the court determined that Sunil was 19 and a half years old when the murders occurred and he was awarded death penalty by FTC II judge Bhooleram. A fine of Rs 50,000 was also imposed on the convict.

06 August 2024 :

19 June 2024 :

A local court in Madhya Pradesh has awarded the death sentence to a 24-year-old woman for attacking her mother-in-law with an iron pan and then striking her with a sickle ninety times, killing her instantly, in 2022.
Rewa’s additional district and sessions judge Padma Jatav convicted Kanchan Kol, a resident of Atraila village in the district, for killing her 51-year-old mother-in-law Saroj, public prosecutor Vikas Dwivedi said on June 11, 2024.
While announcing the sentence on June 10, Jatav noted that the fingerprints of the accused linked her to the murder weapon, and cited the autopsy report that listed multiple wounds inflicted in the “brutal murder”, Dwivedi said.
On July 11, 2022, Kanchan and Saroj reportedly argued over the younger woman stepping out of the house, Dwivedi said citing the police charge sheet.
“Saroj used to object to Kanchan leaving home or talking to other villagers. A few days later, Kanchan first attacked Saroj with an iron pan. When Saroj fell, Kanchan started hitting her with a sickle,” he said.
When the neighbours heard commotion, they rushed to their house and knocked on the door to no response, Dwivedi said, adding that “the neighbours then broke the door and found Kanchan hitting Saroj brutally with sickle. They overpowered her and informed the police”. Saroj was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared her dead.
During her interrogation, Kanchan confessed to the crime. She told the police that Saroj used to harass her in the absence of her husband Ravi Shankar Kol, who works in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, as a daily wager. The harassment, Kanchan alleged, increased after the birth of her child in January 2022.
But, she also implicated her father-in-law, Balmiki Kol, alleging that the 54-year-old wanted his wife out of the way so he could marry another woman, and gave Kanchan ₹4,000 to commit the murder and provided her with the sickle used for the crime.
“Kanchan said Balmiki incited her to commit the murder by giving ₹4000 and a sickle as Saroj used to harass her which was increased a lot after birth of her baby.
Saroj had imposed many restrictions on Kanchan,” Manisha Updhyaya, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Mangwana, who probed the case, said.
Balmiki, who was arrested as an accomplice and conspirator in the murder, has been cleared of all charges due to lack of evidence, said Dwivedi.
At the time of the incident, while Balmiki was visiting a relative in Satna, Ravi Shankar was in Meerut.
Kanchan was arrested from the scene of the crime on July 14, 2022, and charged under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
She has been lodged in Rewa Jail since then.
Her child, now two and a half years old, is also in the jail with her.
To establish the charges, the police recorded statements of 16 witnesses who saw Kanchan attacking Saroj with the sickle, Kanchan wearing a blood-stained saree, and 25 pieces of evidence.

12 June 2024 :

Two men convicted of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl in August last year - by burning her alive in a coal furnace - were sentenced to death on May 18, 2024 by a special court in Rajasthan's Bhilwara.
Judge Anil Gupta classified the case as the "rarest of the rare" as he delivered the verdict.
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 expected to be challenged in the Rajasthan High Court.
Two of the three women are reportedly married to Kalu and Kanha.
Special Public Prosecutor Mahaveer Singh Kishnawat told reporters, "Kalu and Kanha were awarded death penalty." On May 18, he confirmed they had been found guilty of raping and killing the girl."
The barbaric crime occurred on August 3 last year.
The young girl had taken her family's cattle herd for grazing when she was sexually assaulted.
This was in the Shahpura area of Kotri tehsil 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 half-burnt body parts from the furnace, and subsequent forensic investigation of the body parts revealed the young girl may have been burnt 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.

04 June 2024 :

A man was sentenced to death on June 3, 2024 by a Nagpur court for raping and murdering a 5-year-old girl in 2019.
Sanjay Puri (32) was sentenced to death by District Judge and Additional Sessions Judge S R Padwal under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 376(A)(B) of IPC and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, said Special Public Prosecutor Prashant Kumar Sathianathan.
The body of the girl, with severe head injuries, was found on December 6, 2019 from a farm plot in Linga village in Kalmeshwar tehsil where she resided with her labourer parents.
A piece of cloth and rod were stuffed into her mouth, while a blood-stained boulder lay nearby.
The police probe revealed she was raped and bludgeoned to death, after which Puri, who worked on the farm as a watchman, was arrested, the SPP said.
A total of 26 witnesses were examined in the case, he said.
The court sentenced Puri to life imprisonment under section 376(2) of the IPC and under section 4 of the POCSO Act, as well as seven years in jail under section 10 of POCSO Act, Sathianathan said.
All the sentences will run concurrently, the SPP informed. 

27 May 2024 :

A Kerala court on May 22, 2024 sentenced three accused, including a mother and her son, to death for murdering their 71-year-old neighbour near Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram in 2022.
The three persons are allegedly repeat offenders as a case is ongoing in which they are accused of killing a teenager earlier.
The Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court sentenced Rafeeka Beevi (52), her friend Al Ameen (28) and her son Shafeeq (25), all of whom belong to Kovalam, for murdering their neighbour Shanthakumari to steal her gold ornaments.
Last week, the court found the three persons guilty of all the offences charged. The incident came to light on January 14, 2022, when the son and friends of Rafeeka Beevi's house owner, who used to hold combined study sessions on the rooftop of the house, saw—through an open door—blood dripping to the floor from the loft, and informed the authorities.
Police said a body was hidden in the loft of the house, which was later identified as that of Shanthakumari. The three accused who were absconding were then traced to Kazhakoottam and taken into custody.
The accused confessed that they killed the 71-year-old neighbour and stole her ornaments. During the course of interrogation, police found that the three persons together were involved in another murder, that of a 14-year-old girl near Kovalam, where the trio were residing earlier. Proceedings in that case are ongoing.

08 May 2024 :

In a landmark ruling, the District Sessions Court in Vijayapura has delivered a verdict of justice in a harrowing case of honour killing, sentencing two perpetrators to death by hanging, while imposing life imprisonment and hefty fines on others involved, Siasat Daily reported on May 6, 2024.
Ibrahimsab Attara and Akbarsab Attara, convicted for their roles in the crime, have been condemned to the ultimate penalty of death by hanging. The verdict, pronounced by Judge L P Satish of the Second Additional District and Sessions Court of Vijayapur District, underscores the gravity of their actions and serves as a stern warning against such abhorrent acts.
Additionally, the court has sentenced several other accused individuals to life imprisonment, signifying the severity of their involvement in the crime. Ranjanabi Attara, Dawalabi Jamadar, Ajma Dakhani, Jilani Dakhani, Abdul Khader Dakhani, and Davalabhi Dhannoor are among those facing life sentence and a substantial fine amounting to Rs 4.19 lakh.
The case revolves around the tragic tale of Banu Begum Attar and Sayabanna Konnoor, a couple from Halagundakanala village in Muddebihala taluk of Vijayapur district, whose love story was met with vehement opposition from Banu Begum’s family. Despite their unwavering affection for each other, Banu Begum and Sayabanna faced relentless resistance from their respective families, culminating in a gruesome act of violence.
Following their marriage in 2017, Banu Begum and Sayabanna chose to live separately due to the hostile environment created by Banu Begum’s relatives. Tragically, when Banu Begum returned to her husband’s home to give birth to their child, her family’s animosity reached a horrifying crescendo.
In a chilling display of brutality, Banu Begum was subjected to a vicious assault by her own kin, leading to her untimely demise. While her husband, Sayabanna, managed to escape the assailants’ clutches, Banu Begum fell victim to their cruelty.
The perpetrators callously doused the pregnant woman in kerosene before setting her ablaze, killing her along with her unborn child.
Following an investigation by the Talikote police, the perpetrators were brought to justice, paving the way for a trial that sought to deliver closure to the grieving family and uphold the principles of justice.
In a courtroom filled with emotion and anticipation, the presiding Judge, L P Satish deliberated over the evidence presented, ultimately delivering a verdict that resonated with the weight of the tragedy.
Public Prosecutor SS Lokura, representing the government, passionately argued for justice, ensuring that the voices of the victims echoed through the hallowed halls of justice.
As the proceedings drew to a close, the courtroom reverberated with a sense of closure and accountability as the wheels of justice turned resolutely in the pursuit of truth and righteousness. In delivering this verdict, the court has sent a resounding message that acts of violence, particularly those driven by archaic notions of honor, will not be tolerated in a society governed by the rule of law and compassion.

06 May 2024 :

A special CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) court in Haryana's Panchkula awarded the death sentence to four convicts in the 2016 Nuh gangrapes and double murder case on May 4, 2024, officials said.
On April 10, the court had found Hemat Chouhan, Ayan Chauhan, Vinay and Jai Bhagwan guilty of double murder, gangrape and dacoity which took place in Haryana's Nuh on the intervening night of August 24-25, 2016.
The court also slapped a total fine of ₹8.20 lakh on the accused, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said in a statement.
The accused had gang-raped a woman and a minor girl, at their home and thereafter looted ornaments and cash from their possession.
Due to the attack, a farmer died along with his wife and others were grievously injured.
Haryana Police had filed a charge sheet against a different set of accused persons. The CBI took over the probe on the reference from the state government.
The agency had filed two charge sheets against the convicted accused on January 24, 2018 and on January 29, 2019 after a detailed probe during which it collected and analysed scientific and forensic evidences.
"On 10.04.2024, Trial Court had convicted aforementioned four accused persons under Section 120B, 302, 307, 376-D, 323, 459, 460 IPC and under Section 6 of POSCO Act 2012 and had fixed later dates for pronouncement of sentence. Detailed arguments were put forth on behalf of CBI praying for maximum punishment for the convicts," a CBI spokesperson said.

22 April 2024 :

Ludhiana resident Neelam Kaur, 38, was on April 18, 2024 sentenced to death for burying alive Dilroz Kaur, the two-and-a-half-year-old daughter of her neighbour, Harpreet Singh, who is a police constable, after an argument with his family three years ago.
The court of sessions judge Munish Singal ordered that the murder convict be hanged to death for the brutal crime committed on November 28, 2021.
“We had urged the court to consider this a barbaric incident and impose death penalty,” said senior advocate Parupkar Singh Ghumman, who represented the victim’s family.
Neelam, a divorcee and mother of two boys, was held guilty by the court after arguments concluded on April 16 before she was sentenced on April 18.
On November 28, 2021, she kidnapped the toddler when she was playing in the lane at 2.15pm and drove off on her scooter to Salem Tabri, which is 13km away.
Ghumman said that Neelam had got the pit prepared earlier with the motive to kill the toddler.
The police swung into action half an hour later when the toddler’s grandfather, Shaminder Singh, reported the matter. Neelam even accompanied the police team along with the family members and other neighbours in looking for the toddler. It was only when the woman was questioned and shown the CCTV footage, she confessed,” the lawyer said.
Neelam was to shift from the Shimlapuri locality with her sons and parents the day she committed the crime, Ghumman added.

16 April 2024 :

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court on March 27, 2024 confirmed the death penalty given to a 46-year-old labourer from Nagpur for murdering five members of his family in June 2018 over a land dispute.
Justices Vinay Joshi and MW Chandwani, in their ruling, described the crime as “cold-blooded” and “pre-planned,” stating, “The act was extremely barbaric, cruel, and brutal. The accused has killed his own sister, her family, and his own child. The act was heartless, in total disregard for human relationships.”
The bench further emphasised the severity of the crime, noting, “The atrocity of the crime resulted in five deaths, including that of children, squarely makes out a case of exceptional category.”
“Considering the manner of the crime, past and post conduct, the accused is beyond reformation and rehabilitation. The accused would be a menace or threat to society. In our considered view, the case undoubtedly falls in the ‘Rarest of Rare’ category warranting capital punishment”, the bench added.
Prosecutors revealed that Vivek Gulabrao Palatkar, the accused, had previously been convicted of murdering his wife, Savita, in 2014.
Although initially sentenced to life imprisonment, the high court overturned his conviction, setting him free.
Upon his release, Palatkar moved into a rented room in Nagpur and maintained contact with his sister, Archana, who was caring for his two children, following their mother’s death.
However, Palatkar harboured resentment towards Archana’s husband, Kamlakar, who had requested that Palatkar transfer his agricultural land to Archana as compensation for the expenses incurred in raising Palatkar’s children and funding his legal fees.
Driven by this grudge, Palatkar meticulously planned Kamlakar’s murder.
Days before the incident, he purchased a heavy crowbar, which he took to Archana’s residence on 10 June 2018 and concealed outside. Once everyone was asleep, Palatkar retrieved the crowbar and killed Kamlakar, his mother, Archana, her minor daughter, and his own son.
According to police, Palatkar’s motive for killing Kamlakar stemmed out of the land dispute and the humiliation he faced.
The other victims were likely killed as they woke up during Kamlakar’s murder.
The also court noted that while incarcerated, Palatkar assaulted and attempted to kill a fellow inmate, leading the bench to conclude that he was “beyond improvement and there were no chances of reformation”.

09 April 2024 :

Additional Sessions Judge and District Judge BP Kshirsagar sentenced Tejas Mahipati Dalvi to death for the rape, kidnapping, and murder of a minor under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on March 22, 2024.
The court described the crime as heinous, brutal, and barbaric.
His accomplice Sujata Mahipati Dalvi, who is also her mother, faced charges for assisting in disposing of the body and tampering with evidence.
As per information, Tejas abducted the six-year 10 months old girl from Kothurne in Maval, Pune district, on August 2, 2022, triggering charges under Sections 363, 302, 376(2), 376A, 376AB, and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act.
Tejas received the death penalty for kidnapping, murder, and other offences under the IPC and POCSO Act.
He abducted the girl while she was playing, sexually assaulted her at his residence, and fatally slashed her throat. He attempted to conceal the body in a pit near a tree behind his house, with Sujata aiding in covering it with clothes and other materials.
Sujata faced prosecution and conviction under Sections 21 of the POCSO Act, Section 201 of IPC, and Section 202 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for her complicity in the crime.
Moreover, Additional Public Prosecutor Rajesh Kavediya presented the case, underscoring Tejas’s appalling actions and the involvement of both accused in this tragic ordeal. Throughout the trial, he presented 29 witnesses which played an important role in establishing the crime committed by the mother-son duo.

26 March 2024 :

In a landmark verdict, a court in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on March 3, 2024 sentenced five individuals to death for the murder of former Anandpur block chairman Ram Chandra Behera. The brutal crime occurred five years ago on March 25, 2019.
The convicts, identified as Sanjay Prusti, Ajit Prusti, Arun Prusti, Alekha Prusti, and Dola Boitei, were found guilty by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge at Anandpur. The verdict comes after a thorough examination of evidence collected during the investigation and testimonies from 53 witnesses.
According to reports, Behera was hacked to death with sharp weapons near his residence in Dhakotha village, located within the Ghasipura Assembly segment. The former block chairman, who had previously contested the 2004 Assembly elections from Ghasipura, succumbed to his injuries while being transported to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
The police, following the incident, arrested five individuals linked to the murder. Investigators asserted that the motive behind Behera’s murder stemmed from prior enmity.

25 March 2024 :

Ten years after three members of a Bareilly-based income tax inspector's family were murdered during a dacoity by a gang of eight, including two women, a city court has awarded capital punishment to all of them on March 8, 2024.
The incident took place on April 21, 2014, when the gang members belonging to a nomadic tribe barged into IT inspector Ravikant Mishra's house.
They then brutally killed Mishra's mother, brother and sister-in-law.
Police subsequently registered an FIR against unidentified miscreants under IPC sections of robbery, murder and criminal conspiracy.
Later the case was solved and nine people, including two women and a jeweller, were arrested.
The jeweller who purchased the looted items from the gang was awarded life imprisonment. The judgment was pronounced by Additional District and Sessions Judge (fast-track) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who had delivered the verdict in Gyanvapi case and in another case had summoned Tauqeer Raza Khan, UP cleric and head of Bareilly-based political party Ittehad-e-Millat Council, in a 2010 riots case.
Additional district government counsel (ADGC), Digambar Patel, said, "Barring the jeweller, all the other accused belong to 'chai-mar gang (who hit their target six times)' of Punjab origin. They first send their women for recce of the victims and at night their men commit dacoity. In this case, they brutally murdered three people during dacoity. An FIR was registered on the complaint of Ravikant Mishra. During investigation, police found that the gang broke into the house at night via an under-construction site next door by removing a window grill."
The ADGC added: "When Mishra's mother woke up, they killed her by repeatedly striking her on the head with a brick. They then killed Mishra's brother Yogesh and sister-in-law Priya with a crowbar and bricks. On a tipoff, police later raided some camps located on the banks of a river in Umaria village where they found silver coins, few papers and a purse, all of which were family belongings of Mishra.
After interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime."

20 March 2024 :

A man, who shot dead a Lance Naik in 2018 was awarded capital punishment by a court in UP’s Bareilly on February 28, 2024.
Lance Naik Anil Kumar was shot dead in a busy market in Cantonment area of Bareilly by Dhruv Chaudhary.
Dhruv’s brother Rajesh was harassing the wife of a Subedar and Anil had asked Rajesh to stop it. Rajesh informed his brother Dhruv, a local goon, who then shot Anil while he was on his way back to the Army base. Police had booked Dhruv and Rajesh in the murder case.
The court of additional district and sessions judge (ADJ) Gyanendra Tripathi sentenced Dhruv Chaudhary to death and his brother Rajesh Chaudhary to life imprisonment for the murder.
District government counsel Suneet Pathak said, “Accused Dhruv was provoked by his brother and he shot Lance Naik Anil Kumar (35) dead in front of several people. Dhruv’s brother Rajesh was harassing Anil’s friend’s wife and Anil had confronted him. Police had arrested both brothers and sent them to jail.” He added, “A chargesheet was filed against both men.
Charges were framed against both accused on June 7, 2023 and public prosecutor Sunil Pandey produced 11 witnesses in court.”
Pathak further said, “The judge said even if the culprits’ reform, it will neither bring Anil Kumar back to life nor will it be possible to compensate for the loss suffered by the Army. Only harsh punishment will send a positive message towards the court in the society. The court also said if the culprits are given the benefit of the possibility of reform, the lives of witnesses as well as counsels will be in danger.”

12 March 2024 :

A court in Haryana state on February 21, 2024 sentenced to death a 25- year-old man for the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in 2018, police said. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Shashi Chauhan also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the accused, they said. The court awarded Rs 10 lakh compensation for rehabilitation to the victim's family, police said.
Investigation Officer Suman Sura submitted the challan after a meticulous one-month investigation into the case of the accused.
Police had announced an award Rs 2 lakh on the accused. Sura welcome the court's ruling. "I firmly believe that justice has been served by the honorable court in this heinous crime," said Sura.
Special Prosecutor Sunil Parmar said that a youth from Uttar Pradesh had raped and brutally murdered a threeyear-old girl in Sector 65 police station area on November 11, 2018. The incident took place when three girls were playing outside their house, he added.
Parmar said that the accused lured the girls with money. Two girls were not ready to go, but he took a three-yearold girl with him, he added. When the girl did not return home till evening, her parents began searching for her and lodged a complaint, police
The girl's body was found in a mutilated condition next day in front of a temple in the area, they said. While there were cut marks on the girl's body, her face was crushed with a brick, police said.
The girl's private part was also found badly injured, they said.
A case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act and sections of murder and rape, police said. The accused was arrested and the girl's clothes and other evidence were recovered, they said. The accused was lodged in the Bhondsi Jail post his arrest, police said.
"The prosecution presented strong evidence and witnesses in the court. CCTV footage was also presented in the court in which the accused was seen taking the girl away. The court took this matter seriously and considered all the aspects," Parmar said. "He was declared guilty on February 3 and the verdict on his punishment was reserved. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Shashi Chauhan on February 21 sentenced the accused," he added.

07 March 2024 :

A special court in Mumbai has sentenced a transgender person to death after finding them guilty of abducting, raping and murdering a three-month-old girlchild, India Today reported on February 28, 2024.
The crime had taken place following a quarrel over some gifts demanded by the accused in 2021.
The order in the case is yet to be made available, but the accused was convicted of kidnapping, murder, rape, causing disappearance of evidence, and also under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Under a section of the POCSO, Chougule was sentenced to life imprisonment.
For the offences of rape and murder, Chougule was sentenced to death, to be "hanged by the neck till dead," specified Judge AU Kadam.
Chougule has been in custody since July 9, 2021.
This period shall be taken into account for the purpose of Section 433(A) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), directed Judge Kadam.
As per Section 433A of the CrPC, a person serving a life sentence for an offence that also carries the death penalty, or where a death sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment, the person isn't eligible for release from jail unless they've completed a minimum of fourteen years of imprisonment.
The body of the minor victim was found buried in a creek in south Mumbai's Cuffe Parade area in July 2021. The baby was abducted by the accused at around 2:30 am and was buried in mud in a nearby creek.

27 February 2024 :

A court in Haryana’s Rohtak district on February 23, 2024 sentenced a former wrestling coach to death for killing six people, including a four-year-old boy, in February 2021.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Gagan Geet Kaur also imposed a fine of Rs 1.26 lakh on Sukhvinder after convicting him under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and the Arms Act.
A resident of Barauda village in Sonepat district, Sukhvinder shot dead Manoj Malik, his wife Sakshi Malik and their son Sartaj, wrestling coaches Satish Kumar and Pardeep Malik and wrestler Pooja on February 12, 2021, according to police.
Another person, Amarjeet, was injured during the incident at a wrestling venue adjacent to a private college in Rohtak, they said.
Police had then said that Sukhvinder committed the crime in a fit of rage after his services were terminated due to multiple complaints against him.
This case falls in the category of the rarest of rare. In such circumstances, this court has no alternative except to switch over to the death penalty instead of life imprisonment,” the court said in its order.
The judge added that the sentence would not be executed till the Punjab and Haryana High Court confirms the death penalty.

19 February 2024 :

A court of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has sentenced a man to death in a 10-year-old double murder case – the first time capital punishment has been given in Maharajganj district, a lawyer said on February 19, 2024.
The murders, which included the killing of a minor, were the fallout of a two-decade-old property dispute with the complainant.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.25 lakh on him, Assistant District Government Advocate Davendra Kumar Pandey said.
“The court of additional sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Srivastav on February 16 found one Baijnath (38) guilty in murder case of two persons lodged in 2014 and awarded him capital punishment,” Pandey said.
The FIR in the matter was lodged on April 2, 2014 on the basis of a complaint by Rajendra Kumar Chaudhary of Channipur village.
The complainant alleged that he was working in the fields when Baijnath attacked his daughter Gyanti (14) and elder brother Nirmal Chaudhary with a sharp-edged weapon and killed them.

30 January 2024 :

A court in Hyderabad on January 18, 2024 sentenced a man to death for murdering his wife.
The fourth Additional Metropolitan Session Judge pronounced the death sentence for 32- year-old Imran Ul Haq, a resident of Bhavani Nagar in the old city.
The man was convicted in murder and dowry harassment case. Imran had brutally murdered his wife Naseem Akhter January 6, 2019 at their house.
According to police he had been physically and mentally torturing her and demanding Rs 30,000 for purchasing a car.
He had stabbed his wife with a scissor, also hit her with a hammer on the head, and inserted a screwdriver into her private parts.
After committing the crime, he escaped to the house of his second wife. Police later arrested him and produced in the court. The police filed the charge sheet within stipulated time, citing 10 witnesses. The accused was found guilty under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 and 498 (A). The court sentenced him to death and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 302. Under section 498 (A), the court pronounced rigorous imprisonment for three years and a fine of Rs. 5,000.

30 January 2024 :

A Kerala court on January 30, 2024 sentenced to death 15 persons associated with the now-banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) in connection with the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party OBC wing leader Ranjith Sreenivasan in Alappuzha district in December 2021.
The sentence was pronounced by Mavelikkara additional district judge VG Sreedevi, news agency PTI reported.
The prosecution had sought the maximum sentence for the convicts, saying that they were a “trained killer squad” and the cruel and diabolical manner in which the victim was killed in front of his mother, infant, and wife brings it within the ambit of the "rarest of the rarest" of crimes.
Ranjith Sreenivasan, the BJP OBC Morcha state secretary, was brutally attacked and killed in his home on December 19, 2021, in front of his family, allegedly by activists affiliated with PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
The court on January 20 had found that out of the 15 people accused in the case, one to eight were directly involved in the case. It had also found four people (accused number nine to 12) guilty of murder because they, along with those directly involved in the crime, came to the spot armed with deadly weapons.
Their objective was to prevent Sreenivasan from escaping and stop anyone entering the house after hearing his screams. The court had accepted the prosecution's argument that they were also liable for the common offence of murder under IPC Section 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object).
The court also convicted for murder three others (accused number 13 to 15) who had hatched the conspiracy to kill Sreenivasan, the SPP had said.
The BJP leader's murder occurred just hours after SDPI leader KS Shan was killed by a gang on the night of December 18, 2021, while he was returning home in Alappuzha.

13 February 2024 :

Qatar has released eight former Indian naval officers previously sentenced to death on charges of spying for Israel.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) thanked Doha on February 12, 2024 as it announced that the octet had been freed. The details surrounding their arrest, sentencing, and commuting remain unclear.
“We appreciate the decision by the Amir [Emir] of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals,” the ministry said in a statement in New Delhi.
The men were reportedly arrested in August 2022, due to accusations that they had passed sensitive submarine-related information to Israeli intelligence. Neither Qatar nor India officially confirmed the charges.
A preliminary court sentenced them to death last year, prompting India to express deep shock and file an appeal.
The MEA confirmed in December that it had gained consular access to the prisoners. Later the same month, it said an appeals court had commuted their death sentence to varying prison terms.
It said on February 12 that seven of the men had already returned to India. No further details were given about the eighth man, the conditions of the release, or the current status of the case.
The arrest of the men last year made headlines in Indian and Arab media.
The eight were senior employees of Dahra Global Technologies and Consulting Services. Unconfirmed Indian reports said that the company was advising on a Qatari programme aimed at obtaining high-tech, Italian-made, submarines that could evade radar detection. The private firm has since been shut down.
While briefly disturbing ties, the case appears unlikely to have a significant effect on relations between New Delhi and Doha, which are firm allies.
The pair continue to have extensive economic ties. Last week, they signed a deal worth tens of billions of dollars that will secure exports of Qatari liquified natural gas until the end of 2048.

11 February 2024 :

The number of prisoners on death row has risen to 561 in 2023, which is the highest in 19 years. Previously, the highest death row population was 563 in 2004, based on NCRB data on prisons. The increase could be due to a combination of reasons - low disposable rate by appellate courts and the propensity of trial courts to award death penalties. According to the annual report on death penalty in India by Project 39A at Delhi's National Law University, trial courts imposed 120 death sentences in 2023 while the rest are pending from earlier cases. Though the number of death penalties has come down - 156 were given in 2016 - 303 cases involving 488 prisoners were pending before high courts at the end of 2023. This is the highest since 2016.
In a trend continuing since 2019, crimes involving sexual offences formed most death penalty cases in trial courts. About 64 people (53%) were sentenced to death for sexual offences, including rape and murder in 2023. This is up from 27 prisoners given death in 2016. In 75% of cases, courts awarded death penalty when the case involved rape and murder of a victim below 12 years of age.
Importantly, 2023 marked the lowest rate of death sentence confirmations by appellate courts since 2000, with only one confirmation by Karnataka HC. Acquittals dominated outcomes in death penalty cases at appellate courts in 2023.
The report says, "The Supreme Court and high courts raised grave concerns over the shoddy nature of investigations and poor quality of evidence relied on by trial courts to convict and sentence persons to death. The SC continued the trend from previous years by relying on jail conduct and psychiatric evaluation reports of the accused to commute death sentences of three prisoners in two cases.”
In contrast to growing concern in appellate courts over the lack of information about the accused at sentencing, trial courts in 2023 continued to overwhelmingly impose death sentences (in 87% of cases) without eliciting necessary reports on mitigating circumstances from the state. These figures indicate a widening gulf between the efforts of appellate courts to improve the institutional capacity of administering the death penalty, and the persisting capital sentencing crisis at trial courts. In 2022, SC had referred the issue of framing guidelines for effective, meaningful sentencing in capital cases to a Constitution bench.