U’khand HC quashes death sentence in triple murder case

Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court set aside the death sentence awarded by a trial court to a man convicted of brutally killing his mother, elder brother and pregnant sister-in-law with a sword. A Division Bench of Justice Ravindra Maithani and Justice Siddhartha Sah, after hearing the matter, quashed the death sentence and directed the state government to provide the convict with appropriate treatment for his mental illness and release him after he recovers.

The High Court had earlier reserved its judgment in the matter. During the proceedings, the High Court had asked the government to examine the records relating to the convict and ascertain whether he was suffering from any serious mental illness at the time of the incident.

The High Court had also sought to determine whether any relevant fact concerning his mental condition had been overlooked while awarding the death sentence.

As per the case, Sanjay Singh, a resident of Gumal village in Tehri Garhwal, killed his mother, elder brother and pregnant sister-in-law with a sword on December 13, 2014, following a dispute over a minor issue. His father, Ram Singh Pawar, lodged the report in connection with the incident. In August 2021, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Rama Pandey convicted Sanjay Singh and sentenced him to death.