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SC commutes death penalty of CPI-M activist
A Bench headed by Justice SB Sinha said it was not a rarest of rare case and reduced the sentence to life term, reports Satya Prakash.
The Supreme Court on Friday reduced to life imprisonment the death penalty awarded to Kerala CPI-M activist A Pradeepan for murdering a pro-BJP schoolteacher in the presence of his students in 1999 in Kunnur district of the state.
A Bench headed by Justice SB Sinha said it was not a rarest of rare case. However, the apex court acquitted four other persons allegedly involved in the murder of KP Jaykrishnan.
The trial court had in 2003 held all accused persons guilty and awarded them death sentence, which was upheld by the Kerala High Court last year.
Death penalty upheld
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death penalty awarded to a Rajasthan man who murdered his wife and four children in a "brutal, inhuman and diabolical" manner in December 2005.
Bablu alias Mubarik Hussain had killed his wife Anisha, three daughters Gulfsha, Nisha and Anta alias Munni and son Babu - all below 10 - in Nagaur.
Hussain had made a public declaration next morning that he had killed all the five by strangulating them one by one.
Fast track court, Nagaur, awarded him capital punishment holding that it was certainly a case which fell in the category of the 'rarest of the rare' cases and it was upheld by the Rajasthan High Court.
A Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and SH Kapadia dismissed Bablu's appeal.
"The brutal acts done by the accused-appellant are diabolic in conception and cruel in execution. The acts were not only brutal but also inhuman with no remorse for the same. Merely because he claims to be drunk at the relevant point of time, that does not in any way get diluted. This case squarely falls under the rarest of rare category to warrant death sentence," the court said.
SC directive on GM seeds of mustard
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) to examine the impact of genetically modified seeds of mustard, DMH-11.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India YK Sabharwal, which in October last allowed the Delhi University to sow its GM seeds of oil-yielding mustard variety, DMH-11 as an interim measure for experimental purpose, posted the matter for hearing in January.
Email Satya Prakash: satya.prakash@hindustantimes.com
