Punjab & Haryana HC Upholds Death Sentence Of A Murder Accused Already On Death Row In Another Case [Read Judgment]

Khushwinder Singh was convicted for murder of Kulwant Singh, his wife Harjit Kaur and their two children Ramandeep Kaur and Arvinder Singh.

The CBI, which investigated the case against another person, had initially filed closure report. After it came to light that Khushwinder Singh confessed his involvement in this case, during investigation in another murder case, the matter was re-investigated by CBI.

The conviction and death sentence awarded to Singh in the other case was upheld by the Supreme Court in March 2019. He was found guilty of murdering six persons in that case.

The case was that Singh took them to Bhakhra canal on the pretext of receiving blessings from some "Baba", and he pushed them in the canal, while they were offering prayers. His motive, according to prosecution, was to grab the money of Kulwant Singh, who had recently sold land. The Trial Court convicted Singh and sentenced him to death.

The High Court bench comprising Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill upheld the Trial Court judgment holding that the prosecution has proved its case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. As regards sentence, the bench said:

"The present case falls within the ambit of rarest of rare case. The appellant has killed four persons, including two minor children. Whether the extreme penalty of death sentence is to be awarded, a balance sheet of aggravating and mitigating circumstances has to be drawn up."

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