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Madhya Pradesh man gets death penalty for killing wife, court terms crime 'rarest of rare'
The court awarded the death penalty to Lala based on the evidence and arguments put forward by the prosecution and held that the crime was in the “rarest of rare” category, Additional District Prosecution Officer Kuldeep Singh Bhadoria said.
In a stern verdict, a court in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district on Thursday sentenced a 32-year-old man to death for murdering his wife, terming the act as the "rarest of rare" category. Principal District and Sessions Judge Rajesh Kumar Gupta pronounced the capital punishment to Wahid Lala after holding him guilty under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murder. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 4,000 on the convict.
According to Additional District Prosecution Officer Kuldeep Singh Bhadoria, the brutal crime took place on March 25, 2024. Lala shot his wife, Sanjeeda Bi, with a country-made revolver, driven by suspicions over her fidelity. The prosecution successfully argued that the murder was premeditated and rooted in baseless jealousy, making it a fitting case for the maximum punishment.
What did the prosecution say?
The crime was committed in the Daulatganj area. Sanjeeda Bi was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared her dead, Bhadoria said. The couple’s son Farhan had told the police that his parents fought daily over trivial issues. They had quarrelled on the day of the murder as well, following which Lala asked Farhan to go to his grandmother’s house along with his sisters, the prosecution said. The court awarded the death penalty to Lala based on the evidence and arguments put forward by the prosecution and held that the crime was in the “rarest of rare” category, Bhadoria added.
Death penalty in India
In India, the death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is the most severe form of punishment awarded in the rarest of rare cases, where the crime committed is so heinous and brutal that it shocks the collective conscience of society. Legally sanctioned under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), it is primarily awarded for crimes such as murder (Section 302), terrorism-related offences, rape of minors under the POCSO Act, and certain cases of treason or war against the state.
The Supreme Court, in the landmark Bachan Singh vs. State of Punjab (1980) judgment, laid down the "rarest of rare" doctrine, stating that capital punishment should be awarded only when the alternative option of life imprisonment is unquestionably foreclosed. Before awarding the death sentence, courts are required to consider factors such as the brutality of the crime, the intent of the offender, the impact on society, and the possibility of reform. The sentence must be confirmed by the High Court and the convict retains the right to appeal, seek clemency from the President, and file review and curative petitions.
(With inputs from PTI)