Self-styled godman convicted for killing wife moves Supreme Court for release
seeks parity with Rajiv Gandhi assassins
New Delhi, Nov 17: Self-styled godman Shraddhananda, who is serving life sentence for the murder of his wife Shakereh Namazi, has moved the Supreme Court seeking release from prison like the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Alleging that his is a classic case of violation of the right to equality, Shraddhananda said he has already spent over 29 years in jail without getting a single day's parole.
Shraddhananda alias Murli Manohar Mishra had drugged Namazi and buried her alive in the compound of her sprawling bungalow in Bangalore on April 28, 1991.
Shakereh, grand-daughter of Sir Mirza Ismail, former Diwan of Mysore, had married Sharddhananda in 1986 after divorcing Akbar Khaleeli, a former diplomat.
Seeking parity with the convicts of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Shraddhananda has contended before the apex court that he was sentenced to life imprisonment without remission or parole for a single murder.
The plea filed through his lawyer Varun Thakur said the petitioner is over 80 years old and has been incarcerated in jail since March 1994.
"In fact, the petitioner was interrogated by police authority and his judicial confession taken. On that basis he was awarded death sentence by the trial court which was upheld by high court. However, this court converted his death sentence into life sentence without remission, but authority concerned wrongly interpreted the Supreme Court judgment and did not give a single-day parole to the petitioner," the plea submitted.
The plea said recently the top court released the convicts in the Rajiv
Gandhi assassination case, who also enjoyed the benefit of parole and other liberty during the pendency of their petitions.
"The petitioner was involved in only one criminal case and not released for a single day parole, and on other hand those accused in the assassination of the ex-prime minister, enjoyed every benefit including remission/ parole," the plea submitted.
"Hence, not listing the subject writ petition is great violation of fundamental rights. It is also noted that many other prisoners involved in heinous crime are also released but the present petitioner was not released, which is a violation of the right
of equality. This is a classic case of violation of right to equality," the plea submitted.
Seeking urgent hearing on his plea, Shraddhananda had said his plea for a grant of remission and parole was filed in 2014 but it has been pending after the top court issued notice to the Karnataka government.
On a complaint lodged by Namazi's daughter, police had worked out the case and exhumed her body after which the self-styled godman was arrested.
According to the prosecution, Shraddhananda wanted to grab his wife's property.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
