Supreme Court Commutes Death Sentence of Convicted Murderer Reji Kumar

The Supreme Court has commuted the death sentence of Reji Kumar, convicted for the murder of his wife and four children in 2008, to life imprisonment. The decision was based on his good behavior in prison, despite the severity of his crime, including raping his 12-year-old daughter.

The Supreme Court has made the significant decision to commute the death sentence of Reji Kumar, a man found guilty of the heinous murders of his wife and four children in 2008. His sentence has been changed to life imprisonment due to his exemplary conduct over 16-17 years of incarceration.

The bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol, and Sandeep Mehta emphasized Kumar's lack of prior criminal history, along with his good behavior, mental health struggles, and efforts to be a model prisoner, as factors influencing their decision. They held that a death penalty would be unjustified under these circumstances.

Despite the commutation, the court highlighted the appalling nature of the crime, especially the murder of his own children. As a result, Kumar will remain in jail for life, with the hope that he can reflect and do penance for his offenses, which included the shocking act of raping his daughter.

(With inputs from agencies.)