Delhi court sentences woman to life for smothering 2 minor daughters to death

The court order noted that mothers are always seen as a saviour for their nurturing role and perceived sacrifice.

A Delhi court sentenced a 32-year-old woman to life imprisonment on Wednesday for smothering two of her minor daughters to death in February 2018. Pronoucing the verdict, the judge termed the crime as a “cold-blooded murder” and a “rarest of rare” case.

Additional Sessions Judge Sachin Jain of Tis Hazari court said the woman's act of killing her own daughters shook the conscience of the court and also the society at large.(HT file)

According to the prosecution, the woman – Leelawati – brutally murdered her two daughters, aged five years and five months respectively, by smothering them on February 20, 2018. The convict is survived by two more children, a daughter (7) and a son (2).

Additional Sessions Judge Sachin Jain of Tis Hazari court said the woman's act of killing her own daughters shook the conscience of the court and also the society at large. "Further, the act of smothering both the daughters by the convict is a clear-cut cold-blooded murder, bringing the present case into the category of rare of the rarest case", the judge added.

The court order noted that mothers are always seen as a saviour for their nurturing role and perceived sacrifice. “For that reason, the society intends to idolise motherhood, expecting women to be selfless, nurturing and emotionally resilient”, the judge wrote.

The court avoided awarding death penalty to the woman, as complete removal of their mothers could affect the well-being of her two surviving children. The judge said awarding a life-sentence was more “appropriate”, since there was a possibility of her rehabilitation and reintegration into the society. She was also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 in addition to the life sentence.

"The complete removal of their mother from their lives could have a profound and adverse impact on their upbringing. The convict is relatively young and there remains the possibility of her rehabilitation and reintegration into society after serving a substantial period of incarceration," the court observed.

The convict was also deemed ineligible to receive compensation under the Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme as the "beneficiary was the culprit" in the case.

"Since both the girls/daughters/deceased have already lost their lives and the beneficiary is the culprit, who committed the gruesome murder and the father tried his level best to save the convict, instead of fighting for justice, therefore, no ground for grant of compensation is made out in the present case," the court order read.

It also considered both aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and settled with life sentence as the scale tilted towards the latter in this case.

(Wit PTI inputs)