SC Stays Execution Of Death Sentence Awarded To Man Convicted For Murder Of Five ‘Sleeping’ Persons, Including A Minor [Read Order]

The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of death sentence awarded to one Murugeshan in a murder case.

Murugeshan was found guilty by the trial court for murdering five persons, including an 8-year-old kid. The prosecution case is that the accused using a chopper, murdered five persons who were sleeping in a hut. The deceased include a minor child of eight years.

“He has butchered five innocent people who were sleeping, including the child aged about eight years. He is a hardened criminal. He has no heart or any emotion. He is nothing but a maniac,” the Karnataka High court bench said while confirming the death sentence imposed on him by the trial court.

The bench had further observed: “He was not a child or an old person to whom sympathy could be shown. It was a pre-planned, cold blooded brutal murder, of 5 persons. Based on his past history and the pending sessions case, there is absolutely no chance of reformation and rehabilitation.”

Affirming the death penalty, the bench had observed: “The accused has committed the murder of five innocent people. All five of them were asleep. He has butchered them without any emotion at all. The innocent deceased were just sleeping. There was not even an opposition by them. He has committed the murder of five people, one after the other. Even though murder by itself is uncommon, the murder of five people continuously shocks the conscience of this Court. The previous history and yet another pending sessions case would show that he is a hardened criminal. For such offences, a sentence of life is wholly inadequate. In the circumstances, even after according maximum weightage to the mitigating circumstances, there is no other alternate, but to impose a death sentence.”

In a special leave petition preferred by Murugeshan, the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has now stayed execution of death sentence.