HC confirms death sentence for two accused in case

The Bombay high court on Monday confirmed the death sentence handed to two Pune residents for kidnapping, raping and killing a BPO employee in November 2007.

The Bombay high court on Monday confirmed the death sentence handed to two Pune residents for kidnapping, raping and killing a BPO employee in November 2007.

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The incident had a deep impact on society, HC observed. Any woman who took a taxi would fear for her safety until she reached her destination because of such cases, the division bench of justice VM Kanade and justice PD Kode commented while upholding the death sentences handed to Purushottam Borate, 31 and Pradeep Kakade, 26, by a sessions court judge in Pune.

The bench had on September 12 upheld the accused’s convictions for the kidnap, rape and murder of an employee at a business process outsourcing (BPO) company at Hinjewadi in Pune. The court on Monday announced their verdict on the case after hearing public prosecutor Revati Mohite-Dere and defence counsel Rahul Kate on the quantum of punishment.

The public prosecutor argued for the harshest punishment for the duo, contending that the manner of the offence was brutal and inhuman — they had slashed the victim’s wrist, strangled her and then smashed her head with a stone. Some of her bones were also broken.

The convict’s subsequent conduct indicated they could commit another such crime. After killing the victim, they had apparently picked up one of the firm’s employees and dropped him off at the company office, behaving as if nothing had happened.

The firm had hired private cars to pick up and drop employees on night shifts. The car driven by Borate had picked up the victim at about 10.15 pm.

But Borate and Kakade took her to a secluded place near their native village, raped her and killed her. A local spotted the body the next day and reported it. Two days later, the duo was arrested.

On March 20, 2012, sessions judge AM Badar convicted the duo. The trial court handed down two counts each of death sentence and life imprisonment for conspiracy, murder, gang rape and kidnapping.