A Delhi court has sentenced two men to life imprisonment for a 2015 murder case, emphasizing that undue sympathy resulting in a lighter sentence would damage the justice system and erode public trust in the law’s effectiveness.
Additional Sessions Judge Virender Kumar Kharta, presiding over the case, stated that while the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating circumstances, the case did not meet the criteria of the ‘rarest of the rare’ doctrine required to impose the death penalty.
The court was hearing the matter against Gurcharan Singh and Sheesh Ram, who were previously convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the murder of the victim, Manish, on April 1, 2015.
Additional Public Prosecutor Pankaj Kumar Ranga argued that the convicts, acting with a common intention, committed the heinous offence of murder and therefore deserved the maximum punishment.
In its order dated May 13, the court cited a 2005 Supreme Court judgment, highlighting that “undue sympathy to impose an inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system to undermine public confidence in the efficacy of law. It is therefore the duty of every court to award a proper sentence.”
The judge observed, “In the present case, the aggravating circumstances have outweighed the mitigating circumstances, but still the present case does not fall within the purview of the rarest of rare doctrine.” Accordingly, the duo was sentenced to life imprisonment under IPC Section 302.
Additionally, the court recognized the mental trauma, hardship, and disappointment suffered by Manish’s family members. It referred the matter to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority to determine and award adequate compensation to the victim’s legal heirs.
Sources By Agencies