In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has commuted the death sentence of a former bank manager convicted of killing his two minor children, sentencing him instead to life imprisonment without the possibility of release.
The Court, reaffirming that capital punishment must be reserved for the “rarest of rare” cases, took into account the convict’s lack of prior criminal history, his past family relationships, and other mitigating circumstances overlooked by lower courts.
“We direct that the hangman’s noose be taken off the appellant-convict’s neck, and instead that he remains in prison till the end of his days given by God Almighty,” the ruling stated.
The case revolved around a brutal series of crimes committed by the appellant, a Punjab National Bank manager. Driven by discontent over his sister-in-law’s relationship with a coworker, he first murdered her and her mother. He then turned on his own children—aged 10 and 3.5 years—drowning them in a water tank before attempting suicide. His trial for the latter two murders led to a death sentence, which the Supreme Court has now overturned in favor of lifelong incarceration.
While acknowledging the horrific nature of the crime, the Court noted that the convict’s behavior in custody and the absence of a prior criminal record factored into its decision. It emphasized that even in heinous cases, the potential for reformation must be weighed carefully before imposing the ultimate penalty.
In its ruling, the Court reflected on the wisdom of the saying “live and let live,” underscoring that personal grievances, no matter how deeply felt, can never justify acts of violence.
