SC Stays Death Penalty Awarded To UP Man Accused In Murder Of Six [Read Order]

The Supreme Court has stayed the death penalty awarded to a man accused of being involved in the murder of six persons in Muzzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.

Madan, Suresh Pal, and Ishwar were convicted by the trial court for being involved in the killing of six persons. Ishwar was awarded life imprisonment while the other two were sentenced to death by the trial court. In their appeals before the high court, it delivered judgments in February this year, wherein it confirmed death penalty with respect to Madan, and the others were sentenced to life imprisonment.

While confirming the death penalty, the high court had observed that Madan was only one of the main assailants behind committing the offence in which six persons lost their life.

“Madan was already awarded life imprisonment in another case and was involved in the present case in which six persons were killed. There were indiscriminate firings by him and his associates hence in view of the above noted discussion considering the aggravating and mitigating circumstance, gravity of offence, the adequate punishment in the present case, which has shocked the conscious of the society, and as such it attracted extreme punishment, which is necessary, as the crime is not only against the victim but also against the society,” the bench had observed.

Madan then preferred Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court , which came up for hearing before a three-judge bench of Justice Dipak Misra , Justice Amitava Roy and Justice AM Khanwilkar.

The bench yesterday granted leave to appeal and ordered stay of the execution of the death sentence.