Rape and murder: HC quashes death penalty
Bengaluru, August 05: Considering the prosecution’s objection that the accused was not given the chance for the cross examination by the sessions court, the Karnataka High Court has quashed the death penalty awarded to an accused in rape and murder of a six-year-old girl.
The Divisional Bench comprising Justice RB Budihal and Justice BA Patil ordered the lower court to retrial the case. During the hearing, state prosecutor HS Chandramouli said that the accused did not get suitable legal aid was not given the chance for cross-examination. So, it was not fair to regularize the death penalty awarded to the accused, he said.
Considering his objection, the Bench said that it was the rarest among rare cases. The work of the prosecution was not just ensuring the punishment to the accused, but it should bring to the notice of the court when the accused was denied fair trial and appreciated the stand of the prosecution.
Local police had registered a case against Anil Balagar of Banashankari Layout Second Stage on charges of raping and murdering a six-year-old girl.
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Woman found hanging at Bengaluru home dies, husband held
Bengaluru (PTI): A 24-year-old married woman who had been found hanging from a ceiling fan at her home has died, and her husband has been arrested in this connection, police said on Monday.
The deceased Shruthi was a resident of Yelahanka here, and her maternal family claimed it to be a murder. Her husband, Pawan Kalyan, has been arrested on charges of dowry harassment, police added.
According to police, on Saturday, she was found hanging from a ceiling fan, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was declared brought dead, police said.
Shruthi married Kalyan, a private employee, in December 2024, and the couple has been residing in Yelahanka since then, a senior police officer said.
However, her family has alleged that Kalyan and his family had been harassing Shruthi for additional dowry, which often led to quarrels between them, he said.
The officer said the two families had recently resolved their disputes, but the issue cropped up again.
Amruth, Shruthi's younger brother, told reporters that he was informed over the phone that his sister had died by suicide.
"They told me on the phone that my sister died by suicide, and I immediately informed my father. The couple had argued earlier that day before I was told she had died. When I checked, the ceiling fan did not appear to have bent or moved. My sister weighed 75 kg," he said.
A case was registered against Kalyan at the Yelahanka New Town police station for dowry harassment, and he was arrested in connection with the incident, the officer added.
The autopsy report will ascertain the exact cause of death, police said.
