Bombay High Court Commutes Death Penalty in Grisly 2017 Murder Case

The Bombay High Court upheld the conviction of Deepak Jath for the 2017 murder of two girls by setting them on fire. The death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment, as the crime did not qualify as 'rarest of rare.' Jath's actions were retaliatory after being reprimanded.

The Bombay High Court has affirmed the conviction of Deepak Jath, who was found guilty of killing a teenage girl and a toddler by setting them alight in 2017.

Initially receiving the death penalty, Jath's sentence was reduced to life imprisonment, as the court ruled the incident did not meet the 'rarest of rare' criteria. This decision was made by a division bench comprised of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Shyam Chandak.

The crime, committed in Bandra, was described by the prosecution as retaliation after Jath was reproached for eve-teasing the teenage victim. He argued that his actions were provoked by the girls' derogatory remarks towards him.

(With inputs from agencies.)