Gang-rape of minor: SC stays operation of death sentence awarded to convict

Supreme Court has stayed the operation of death sentence awarded to a man in a case of gangrape of a sevenyearold girl in Madhya Pradesh in 2018While hearing an appeal filed by the convict against the Madhya Pradesh High Court verdict of September last year affirming the capital punishment a bench headed by Justice U U Lalit said that pending further consideration the operation of the death sentence awarded to him shall remain stayedThe apex court which said that a psychological evaluation report of the convict be placed before it directed that report of the jail administration concerned about the nature of work done by the appellant while in jail be also placedPending further consideration the effect and operation of the death sentence awarded to the appellant shall remain stayed Let an intimation in this regard be sent to the prison concerned immediately the bench also comprising Justices S R Bhat and P S Narasimha said in its February 14 orderThe top court was hearing an appeal filed by the appellant challenging the high court judgement which had affirmed the death sentence awarded to him and one other convict in the case by the trial courtThe bench said the state shall place before it the reports of all probation officers relating to the appellant before the next date of hearingWe also feel that the interest of justice dictates that we obtain a psychological evaluation of the appellant We direct the Director Mental Care Hospital District Indore Madhya Pradesh to constitute a suitable team for psychological evaluation of the accusedappellant in this case and send a report before the next date of hearing it saidThe bench directed that authorities of jail where the appellant is presently lodged shall render complete cooperation in facilitating access to and due evaluation of the convict in all respects The apex court has posted the matter for further hearing on March 22In its verdict the high court had confirmed the death sentence awarded by a trial court in August 2018 to the two convicts in the caseIn June 2018 the grandmother of the girl had lodged a report at a police station in Mandsaur that the child was missing from her school premises after the classes were over for the dayThe police registered the case and on the next date the girl was found in an injured condition and was taken to a hospital The girl was provided treatment and she narrated the incident to the police about how she was taken to a secluded spot and was sexually assaulted After considering the evidence the trial court had awarded death penalty to the two convictsThe facts of the present case reveal an ominous plot hatched by the appellants seeking to satiate their lust by breaching the confidence of the minor prosecutrix girl and then heaping miseries upon her by committing such forceful aggravated penetrative sexual assault which is most ruthless in nature the high court had said in its judgementThe high court had also observed that rights of the victim cannot take a back seat while considering the rights of the accused personsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever