In a significant ruling, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has modified the death sentence of Jitendra Purviya, a man convicted of murdering four family members, to life imprisonment. The court cited his intoxicated state during the crime and the presence of his minor son, who requires care, as key reasons for the commutation.
On May 16, 2019, in Simreghat village, Raisen district, Purviya fatally attacked his wife Sunita, father Jalam Singh, mother Sharda, and son Siddhant. The initial conviction was handed down by the Additional Session Judge in Bareli, Raisen, who imposed the death penalty under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code along with additional sentences under the Arms Act.
The division bench, consisting of Justices Vivek Agrawal and Devnarayan Mishra, upheld the conviction but altered the sentence, highlighting significant mitigating circumstances. “Given the intoxicated condition of the man at the time of the incident and the existence of a surviving minor son who is dependent on his father, we find these factors sufficiently weighty to substitute the death penalty with a life sentence,” stated the High Court order.
The case details reveal a gruesome night where Purviya, armed with a gun and an axe, attacked his family members. Ranjana Bai, a neighbor, reported hearing distressing noises and Sunita’s alarms around 1:30-2:00 AM, prompting her to rush to the scene with her son. They witnessed Purviya assaulting the victims and narrowly escaped his aggression themselves.
The incident left Sunita and Sharda dead at the scene, while Jalam Singh and Siddhant later succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Purviya fled but was subsequently apprehended by local authorities.
