Sundarrajan’s Death Penalty For Murdering A 7 Year Old Boy Commuted To 20 Years Imprisonment

The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha on Tuesday commuted the death penalty of Sundarrajan to imprisonment for 20 years. He has been convicted of murdering a 7 year old boy and the conviction has been upheld by the bench.

In the matter at hand the Madras High court in 2010 had also upheld his death sentence. The high court had observed any leniency cannot be shown as it would amount to misplacement of mercy and would make a mockery of the criminal system.The sentence was first awarded to him by Mahila Court in Cuddalore.

The Supreme Court had in 2013 upheld the death sentence of  Sundarrajan, who had kidnapped and strangled a young boy of seven years of age because his parents could not pay the ransom of Rs. 5 lakh that had been demanded. In the hearing today the court passed the order in a review petition that Sundarrajan preferred against the 2013 order of the apex court.

The bench relied on the judgement in the case of Mohd. Arif and observed that review must be held in the open court. It was further noted that is no doubt in the guilt of Sundarrajan and hence the court did not interfere with the conviction but commuted the death sentence to 20 years of imprisonment.

Decision in Mohd. Arif @Ashfaq v. The Registrar, Supreme Court:

This was a case involving the convict of Red Fort attack which led to reform of death penalty hearings. In this case it was mandated that the hearings of review petitions in case of death sentences will be helad atleast by three judges bench in open court. This move led to commuting of several death sentences.