Supreme Court Suspends Life Sentence Of Anu Shanthi In Attingal Double Murder Case

The Supreme Court today suspended the life imprisonment sentence of Anu Shanthi, who was convicted for the murder of her mother-in-law and three-year-old daughter in the 2014 Attingal double murder case.A bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan suspended the sentence and granted bail till the pendency of her appeal against the conviction.“Leave has been granted. Considering the facts of the case the appellant is entitled to suspension of sentence and bail pending the final disposal of the appeal”, the Court held.Last year, the Kerala High Court had confirmed the life sentence imposed on Anu Shanthi by the Thiruvananthapuram Sessions Court. In the same judgment, the High Court commuted the death penalty awarded to Nino Mathew, her co-conspirator and lover, to life imprisonment without remission for 25 years.According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on April 16, 2014, at Anu Shanthi's residence in Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram. On the morning of the incident, the victims were at home while Anu Shanthi left for work at Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. He mother-in-law Omana called her son, the husband of Anu Shanthi, informing him that a visitor, later identified as Mathew, was at the house to meet him. Shortly after, Mathew attacked the family.The Kerala High Court's division bench of Justice PB Suresh Kumar and Justice Johnson John upheld the Sessions Court's conviction of both accused under Section 302 of the IPC and other relevant sections. While Anu Shanthi was sentenced to life imprisonment, Mathew, who executed the murders, initially received the death penalty.The High Court converted Mathew's death sentence into life imprisonment, observing mitigating factors after a comprehensive investigation by Project 39A of the National Law University, Delhi. It also directed that Mathew is not eligible for remission for 25 years.The prosecution had argued that the murders were premeditated and part of a conspiracy by the duo to remove obstacles to their illicit relationship. The High Court agreed with this assessment, citing evidence of their coordination in carrying out the murders. However, it considered Mathew's background and other circumstances before deciding against imposing the death penalty. Case no. – Crl.A. No. 4751/2024Case Title – Anu Shanthi v. State of KeralaClick Here To Read/Download Order

Supreme Court Suspends Life Sentence Of Anu Shanthi In Attingal Double Murder Case

Amisha Shrivastava

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