Kolhapur Sister's Death Sentence Commuted to Life Imprisonment
NEW DELHI: The Bombay High Court modified the death sentences of Kolhapur sisters Renuka Shinde and Seema Gavit to life imprisonment as Maharashtra's "state machinery demonstrated laxity and indifference in dealing with their mercy plea".
The sisters and their mother, Anjana, were charged with kidnapping 13 children and forcing them to beg. Between 1990 and 1996, children who refused to beg were said to have been murdered.
In 2001, the defendants were found guilty and sentenced. The death sentence was upheld by the Bombay High Court in 2004 and the Supreme Court in 2006.
The inmates petitioned the governor for mercy in 2008, but it was denied in 2012-13. Following that, the convicts filed a mercy petition with the President, which was also denied in 2014. The sisters eventually sought the high court, claiming that their mercy plea had been delayed. In the meantime, the Maharashtra government pressed for their execution.
In its judgment affirming the conviction and death sentence, the Supreme Court noted that "The sisters constituted a social hazard. When the subject of remission arises, we are certain that the competent authority will evaluate the gravity of the offense as well as the court's observations ".
The application, filed under Article 226 in the Bombay High Court by counsel Aniket Vagal, sought commute of their death sentence to life imprisonment on the grounds of excessive delay in execution of their death sentence of more than eight years.
The petitioners claimed that the executive, including the Governor of Maharashtra, the state government, the Union Home Ministry, and the President of India, is solely responsible for the delay in deciding their mercy requests.
Chief Public Prosecutor Aruna Pai stated that if the court was considering reducing the death sentence to life imprisonment, then it should specify life imprisonment till natural death considering there was no scope for reformation.
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