The Allahabad High Court has commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of killing a police inspector during an arrest attempt in 2014 to 25 years of life imprisonment without remission, ruling that the single-gunshot fatal attack was not diabolic or cruel enough to warrant execution.
Commutation And Mitigating Factors
A division bench of Justice Ajay Bhanot and Justice Avnish Saxena altered the capital punishment awarded to Pappu, also known as Chandra Kumar, for the murder of Police Inspector Raj Kumar Singh. In commuting the death penalty, the judges highlighted that the fatal wound resulted from a single gunshot fired in the heat of the moment, lacking the diabolic, heinous, or atrocious nature required for extreme punishment.
The court also evaluated a jail progress report, which indicated that the convict exhibited a calm and quiet disposition while incarcerated rather than continuing criminal traits. Additionally, the bench considered his poor socio-economic background, noting that his father had limited financial means working in the education field while raising six children.
Conviction Upheld On Prosecution Evidence
While modifying the sentence, the High Court fully affirmed the trial court’s conviction of the accused under Sections 302 (murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Sections 25 and 27(1) of the Arms Act. The bench held that the prosecution successfully proved all charges beyond a reasonable doubt through consistent eyewitness testimony and a precise investigation.
The judges further clarified that minor inconsistencies in the inquest officer’s testimony did not weaken the prosecution’s case. Because the officer was not an eyewitness and only carried out the formal inquest, the court held that the findings sufficiently established that the inspector died from a gunshot injury.
Background Of The 2014 Incident
The incident occurred in 2014 when a police team raided the accused’s residence to arrest him in connection with a criminal case. During the confrontation, the accused pulled out a pistol, issued threats to the police party, and shot Inspector Singh in the chest. The officer died from the injury after being rushed to a hospital, while the assailant was apprehended at the scene.
The trial court had previously sentenced the accused to death for murder, alongside concurrent terms of two years of rigorous imprisonment for criminal intimidation and three years for firearms offenses under Section 25 of the Arms Act. Under the High Court’s ruling, the convict will serve 25 years of life imprisonment without remission, while all other concurrent terms from the trial court remain in effect.
