Abolish Death Penalty India: February 2016

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Tamil Nadu - Tenkasi Triple Murder (2016)

17 Feb 2016

Case Summary — Tenkasi Triple Murder (2016)

Accused: N. Muthuraj alias Andavar, 36 years old, resident of Nettur village, Alangulam, Tenkasi district, Tamil Nadu.
Incident Date: 16 February 2016.

What Happened

Muthuraj murdered three members of a family:
- M. Pechithaye (48) — mother
- M. Mari (19) — daughter
- Govindasamy (75) — Pechithaye’s father
The killings occurred after Pechithaye had lodged a complaint against Muthuraj for misbehaving with her eldest daughter. The accused had been released from jail just a week prior to the murders.

Evidence & Trial

Several eyewitnesses testified, though some turned hostile due to threats.
The victim’s brother and a friend provided key testimony against the accused.
The Alangulam police charged him under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and other related sections.

Verdict & Sentence

The Tenkasi Additional District Court convicted Muthuraj for the triple murder.
He was awarded the death penalty for the murders.
He also received two years and one month imprisonment for lesser charges related to restraint and intimidation.

Notable Points

The murder was considered brutal and retaliatory.
The death sentence is subject to High Court confirmation, as per Indian criminal procedure.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/36-yr-old-gets-death-sentence-in-2016-triple-murder-case/articleshow/74408605.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The Death Penalty Scenario in India

India is one of 193 countries that retains the death penalty. Some judges have delivered landmark verdicts upholding the rights of death row prisoners, while debates continue advocating abolition or reform of sentencing policies. The Indian government remains committed to retention, asserting executions occur only in “rarest of rare” cases. The death penalty applies to crimes including murder, kidnapping, terrorism, desertion, inducement to suicide of a minor or mentally-retarded person, and in certain cases of rape. Outrage over child rape and murder has intensified these discussions. After an unofficial eight-year moratorium, the government executed Ajmal Kasab (Mumbai attacks) in 2012 and Afzal Guru (Parliament attack) in 2013, both covertly and immediately after mercy petitions were rejected. Prior to this, Dhananjoy Chatterjee was executed in 2004 after 13 years on death row. Following these, many mercy petitions have been rejected, creating fear among death row convicts. Courts continue to hand down death sentences at an increasing rate. Empirical studies highlight the plight of death row prisoners. The India Exclusion Report 2017-18 found fair trial rights largely denied, with convicts often marginalized by caste, religion, poverty, and education. The Death Penalty Research Project (2015) documented socio-economic profiles and experiences of death row prisoners. Dr. Reena Mary George’s studies (2014, 2009) emphasized poverty, social exclusion, and dignity as central to death row experiences, and examined the human rights impact of the penalty. According to the National Crime Records Bureau 2015, 101 prisoners were on death row, with many sentences commuted to life. The “rarest of rare” doctrine introduced by the Supreme Court in the 1980s has not substantially limited death sentences, which have increased over the decades. Justice Joseph (2018) reaffirmed the Bachan Singh judgment but urged restriction of the death penalty to only those cases meeting its criteria. While updating the blog and conducting my own empirical studies, I observed the heinous nature of the crimes that were committed and thought about the families, about their loss, about the victims who for no fault of their own died. If I lost my relative or a dear friend, would I still oppose death penalty and would I still advocate to abolish the death sentence? Having worked in the criminal justice system and also having the seen the other side, where often it is the marginalized, vulnerable and oppressed who are on death row makes me want to advocate for abolition of this punishment. Victims should definitely get justice for their loss, for their pain. No one should escape the rule of law. As long as humanity exists; crime will exist. Should we not re-consider our sentencing policies? Reena Mary George