Supreme Court Stays Death Sentence of Convicted Killer in Disturbing Case

This article reports on the Supreme Court's decision to stay the death sentence of Rahul Kumar, convicted for the rape and murder of a 19-year-old student. The incident occurred in Ranchi in 2016, and a brutal account was confirmed by medical examinations. The Supreme Court calls for trial and high court records.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday put a hold on the death sentence of Rahul Kumar, the 30-year-old convicted of the brutal rape and murder of a 19-year-old engineering student in Ranchi, Jharkhand. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Pankaj Mithal, and Ujjal Bhuyan sought translated copies of the trial and high court records.

Previously, the Jharkhand High Court had confirmed the death sentence given by the trial court to Kumar, a resident of Nawada district, Bihar. The heinous crime occurred on December 15, 2016, when the victim was strangled and set on fire after being raped. The trial court handed down the death sentence in December 2019 following the exhaustive presentation of evidence by the prosecution.

The High Court described the crime as barbaric, citing evidence that the perpetrator came prepared with tools of murder and meticulously executed the act. The court noted that the young victim's life was ended without any past enmity and that the crime was a result of premeditated malice rather than a crime of passion.

(With inputs from agencies.)