Delhi HC Commuted Death Sentence Of Man Found Guilty Of Kidnapping And Murdering A 12-Year-Old Child

On Monday, the Delhi High Court commuted the death sentence of a man who had been found guilty of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old child in 2009. Justices Mukta Gupta and Anish Dayal, presiding over a division bench, modified the trial court's original ruling of a death sentence.

The bench decided that the convict, Jeevak Nagpal, would instead serve rigorous imprisonment for life without the possibility of remission for a period of 20 years.

The Court commuted the death sentence by stating that the case did not meet the criteria of being classified as the "rarest of rare cases." The Court expressed the opinion that there was still a possibility of reforming the convict in this particular case.

The High Court was handling a reference seeking confirmation of the death sentence imposed on Nagpal by the trial court. It was also hearing an appeal filed by Nagpal challenging his conviction and sentence. Nagpal had been found guilty of kidnapping and murdering his 12-year-old neighbor. It was reported that on March 18, 2009, Nagpal abducted the child and sent ransom demands to the child's father.

According to the Court, Nagpal eventually murdered the child by using the jack handle of his car and suffocating the child. The body of the deceased child was then disposed of in a dry drain. At the time of the murder, Nagpal was only 21 years old. After carefully considering the case, the Court rejected Nagpal's appeal against his conviction.

The Court concluded that the available evidence indicated that the murder committed by Nagpal was not premeditated, as he was not in possession of any weapon.

As a result, the Court decided to alter the sentence imposed on Nagpal specifically for the charge of murder. Nevertheless, it clarified that the sentences given for the offenses under Sections 364A, 201, and 506 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) would not be modified and would remain unchanged.