The Supreme Court on Wednesday commuted the death sentence of Byluru Thippaiah, a resident of Ballari district in Karnataka, to life imprisonment till his natural death, without remission. Thippaiah had been convicted for the brutal killing of five members of his own family — including his wife, three children, and sister-in-law — in 2017.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol, and Sandeep Mehta upheld his conviction for the “barbaric and ruthless murders” but found the death penalty excessive, citing several mitigating factors.
“Considering the sum-total of circumstances that drove the appellant-convict to this point of committing this crime of a most reprehensible nature, the death penalty may not be appropriate,” the court observed. The bench directed that Thippaiah shall spend the rest of his life behind bars, repenting for his actions, with no scope for early release or remission.
The judgment noted that while the High Court had affirmed his conviction and death sentence, it had failed to sufficiently consider key reports — particularly the mitigation and behavioural assessments.
According to the court, Thippaiah had no prior criminal record, and prison authorities noted his “good moral character” and “good conduct” in custody. He also engaged in literacy programs and displayed remorse, particularly concerning the future of his surviving daughter.
The mitigation report presented a troubled psychological profile, noting Thippaiah’s difficult upbringing marked by lack of parental affection and early school dropout. It also described mental health struggles, including two suicide attempts — one after learning of his family’s death and another upon receiving the death sentence.
“Once incarcerated, it appears that mental health struggles have been a constant and unwelcome companion,” the bench said, acknowledging signs of his emotional vulnerability and capacity for reform.
The judgment also referenced this case as the third in a series of recent matters before the apex court involving extreme familial violence, expressing concern over recurring patterns of breakdown in personal responsibility and emotional regulation.
Thippaiah was found guilty by the trial court in 2017, and the Karnataka High Court confirmed his conviction and death sentence on May 30, 2023. The incident occurred on February 25, 2017, when he assaulted and killed his wife, sister-in-law, and three children in a fit of rage.
With this ruling, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the evolving judicial approach toward capital punishment, where emphasis is increasingly placed on the convict’s background, potential for reform, and the proportionality of punishment in the “rarest of rare” doctrine.
