Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

High Court confirms life sentence

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has confirmed the life sentence imposed by a lower court on two persons in a case relating to the sacrifice of a boy, aged about six, in Cuddalore district three years ago.

It acquitted six others. The prosecution case related to the murder of Satishkumar, son of Sakthivel, at Arasaradikuppam. The murder took place, in May 2006, on the advice of a sorcerer, Kathiresan Samiyar, to Krishnaraj to sacrifice a boy in the age group of six to 10 to overcome financial constraints for constructing a house.

In June last year, Fast Track Court-II, Cuddalore, sentenced Krishnaraj and Kathiresan Samiyar to life imprisonment with fine. Six persons were awarded three years rigorous imprisonment with fine. Two others were acquitted. Aggrieved, the convicted persons filed appeals. Seeking enhancement of punishment awarded to Krishnaraj, the State preferred an appeal.

In its common order, a Division Bench, comprising Justices M. Chockalingam and C.S. Karnan, said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and the trial court was correct in finding Krishnaraj guilty under Section 302 and 201 IPC and Kathiresan Samiyar guilty under Section 302 read with 109 IPC. As regards the six others, the prosecution had not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Hence, they were being acquitted.

The Bench said it had been proved that Krishnaraj, on the instigation of the sorcerer, had murdered the boy. There was no doubt it was a heinous crime. But, there was no material to show that Krishnaraj was involved in any other crime in the past. He did not have bad antecedents. Therefore, the Bench was of the opinion that it was not a fit case where capital punishment could be awarded.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Re-union
Prose and poetry appreciation courses
Study by TCS on Internet usage
Where shoppers can hop from stall to stall on a buying spree
Abnormal rise in radioactivity denied
Appointed Vice-Chancellor
Anita Radhakrishnan resigns from Assembly
Special trains extended
Optical fibre communication system
“IT sector buildings not energy efficient”
Philippines Ambassador invites Indians to explore business openings
Madras High Court clears cross-gender spa service
Exhibition of medical equipment opens
Filipino film festival inaugurated
AVM studio fire sparks safety questions
Overcrowding, lack of hygiene plague Adi Dravidar hostels
Sunday kutcheri in the park
Power shutdown today
Road overbridge at Perambur Loco Works by January
Held for video piracy
2 killed as tree falls
Woman robbed
Aircraft grounded
Water supply to be hit
RPF constables robbed
Idols recovered
In quest of new teaching, learning methods
High Court confirms life sentence
Campaign to enrol beneficiaries for health insurance scheme
Chennai Today

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu