Karnataka HC sets aside life term for woman who killed 2-month-old daughter
The Karnataka High Court has set aside a sessions court order of life sentence on a woman from Andhra Pradesh who allegedly killed her two-month-old daughter, and ordered her release from prison.
The Karnataka High Court has set aside a sessions court order of life sentence on a woman from Andhra Pradesh who allegedly killed her two-month-old daughter, and ordered her release from prison.
Karnataka HC ordered release of Andhra woman from prison who allegedly killed her two-month-old daughter.
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The Fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge, Madhugiri in Tumakuru district on July 22, 2017, convicted Kavitha, from Madakasira in Sri Sathyasai district of Andhra Pradesh, under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code, to undergo life imprisonment for murder.
Kavitha and her husband Manjunatha had come to a hospital in Koratagere, Tumakuru, Karnataka to treat their child suffering from respiratory problems and epilepsy. Kavitha was also unable to feed her baby. Manjunatha complained to the local police that Kavitha threw the baby in the Suvarnamukhi river on the outskirts of the town on August 24, 2016.
The investigation and trial led to her conviction by the trial court in 2017. A total of 15 witnesses and 16 documents were used by the prosecution to get the conviction. However, the division bench of the High Court comprising Justice K Somashekar and Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar earlier this month allowed the woman's appeal, set aside the conviction, acquitted her and also ordered her release.
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"In the instant case, the importance of corroboration of the evidence which was facilitated by the prosecution, it must be positive, cogent, consistent and probabalized that the accused had committed the murder of the deceased," the HC said in the judgement.
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"In the instant case, the importance of corroboration of the evidence which was facilitated by the prosecution, it must be positive, cogent, consistent and probabalized that the accused had committed the murder of the deceased," the HC said in the judgement.
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However, "in the instant case, though the prosecution subjected examination of PW.1 to PW.15, but no worthwhile evidence has been facilitated by the prosecution for securing the conviction of the accused for the offence under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code," it stated.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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