Karnataka HC turns down serial rapist-killer Umesh Reddy's plea to commute death sentence to lifer
Bengaluru, Sep 29: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday dismissed serial rapist Umesh Reddy's plea for commuting the death penalty awarded to him to life sentence after his mercy petition was rejected by the President in 2012.
A division bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur dismissed the petition.
Reddy had cited inordinate delay in considering his plea for commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment.
The bench granted him six weeks' time challenge the order in the apex court.
Reddy, a constable in the CRPF, who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir and then in the District Armed Reserve in Karnataka, is facing at least 21 rape and murder cases. He was arrested on March 2, 1998 in connection with the rape and murder of a widow in February that year and sentenced to death by a lower court in 2006. Both the High Court and the Supreme Court had upheld the lower court order.
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'Dictatorship' going on in country is unacceptable: Arvind Kejriwal
Chandigarh (PTI): Attacking the BJP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the "dictatorship" allegedly going on in the country is unacceptable and the nation has never seen such a period in the past 75 years.
Kejriwal was addressing Punjab AAP workers and leaders, including MLAs, in Amritsar and asked them to put in their best to ensure AAP's victory in all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.
He slammed the BJP, accusing it of putting all rival party leaders in jail.
"The dictatorship that is going on in our country is not acceptable. India has never seen such a period in the past 75 years, putting opposition leaders in jail," said Kejriwal.
He even sought to liken the situation in India with that of Russia.
"Like in Russia, (Vladimir) Putin had either sent all rival leaders in jail or got them killed and then conducted the elections and got 87 per cent votes. When there is no opposition, you will be the only one who will get votes," he said.
"They put me in jail, (former Delhi deputy CM) Manish Sisodia was put in jail, Congress party's bank account was attached, (they) are troubling TMC, (Tamil Nadu CM MK) Stalin's ministers have been put in jail.
"Put everyone in jail. Then only one party and one leader will remain but democracy will not survive. We do not have to let this happen," said Kejriwal.
Kejriwal came to Punjab on Thursday and held a roadshow in support of AAP's Amritsar candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.
