Abolish Death Penalty India: Uttar Pradesh - Lucknow couple awarded death sentence for killing six members of family

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Uttar Pradesh - Lucknow couple awarded death sentence for killing six members of family

Updated on: Jan 18, 2025 06:20 am IST

Court also imposes ₹5 lakh fine each on the duo for the murders committed at a Banthra village on April 30, 2020 over a property dispute.

A Lucknow court on Friday awarded the death sentence to a couple for killing six members of their family, including the husband’s parents, his elder brother, the brother’s wife and two minor children over a property dispute nearly five years ago in 2020. The court of additional district and sessions judge Rohit Singh also imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh each on the duo — Ajay Singh and his wife Rupa Singh. The couple’s minor son is also an accused in the case and his trial before the Juvenile Justice Board is yet to start.

The incident took place on April 30, 2020 at Gudauli village under the Banthara police station of Lucknow. The court awarded the death sentence to the couple under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (multiple people committing a crime in furtherance of a common intention and each person is liable for the crime). Ajay Singh, along with his wife Rupa Singh and minor son had killed Ajay’s elder brother Arun Singh, his wife Ram Sakhi, their minor children (son and daughter) and Ajay’s parents Ram Dulari and Amar Singh at his home in Gudauli, according to the prosecution. “The court has awarded the death sentence to Ajay Singh and his wife Rupa Singh for killing six members of their family for property. The court considered the case as rarest of the rare. Their minor son is also an accused in the case. He is in juvenile jail but the trial is yet to start,” said Manoj Tripathi, district government counsel.

According to the police, Ajay Singh had heated arguments with his elder brother Arun Singh over property and their father Amar Singh favoured Arun (the elder son). During this heated exchange, Ajay attacked the family members with a sickle killing his father, mother, elder brother and his wife and their two children – a son and a daughter. “During trial of the case, the court came to the conclusion that murders were carried out by Ajay Singh, his wife and son in a planned manner,” said Tripathi. Additional district government counsel MK Singh and government advocate Kamlesh Kumar Singh appeared before the court on behalf of the state government.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/lucknow-couple-awarded-death-sentence-for-killing-six-members-of-family-101737138659160.html

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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