HC affirms punishment of Dara Singh
- Country:
- India
Orissa High Court Monday affirmed a lower court judgment in which Dara Singh alias Rabindra Kumar Pal was convicted for the murder of a garment shop owner Sk Rehman at Padiabeda weekly market in Mayurbhanj district on August 26, 1999.
A division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice B P Routray rejected the appeals of Dara Singh, who had alleged botched up investigation, hostile witnesses, lack of motive behind the murder and also non-examination of the weapon of offence by the prosecution and affirmed the sentence awarded to him.
"Taking note of the prosecution case and considering the evidence adduced in its entirety, we do not find any extenuating circumstances in favor of the appellant (Dara Singh). The sentence awarded to the appellant is hereby affirmed", the nine-page judgment said.
The bench also rejected the submission of Dara Singh that he has already undergone more than 21 years inside jail (for the murder of Australian Christian missionary Graham Steuart Staines and two minor sons Phillip and Timothy) and considering his long custody the punishment may be modified.
"There is no merit in such submission. Keeping in view the nature of assault, the brutality associated therewith and the circumstances of the crime where no prior enmity existed and the victim was unarmed and defenseless, there is no case made out for any leniency as far as the sentence is concerned,'' the HC ruled.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ALSO READ
Hezbollah's Fighting with Israel Detrimental to Lebanon, Says Lebanese Christian Leader
HC hears ED, CBI stand on bail pleas by Christian Michel in AgustaWestland cases
Muslims, Christians, Hindus moving forward with feeling of brotherhood: BRS's Nama Nageswara Rao on Owaisi's remark
Russian Orthodox Christians mark Easter with nighttime service in Moscow cathedral
"Done quite a lot of damage": Christian Horner on Max Verstappen's car hitting bollard in Miami GP