GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court on Monday upheld the death sentence of murder convict Mahendra Das and dismissed his petition for converting the capital punishment to life term imprisonment.
A division bench of Justices AK Goel and CR Sharma ruled that there was ‘no ground’ for converting the death sentence into a life imprisonment.
Das had filed the petition before the High Court, praying for life imprisonment in lieu of death sentence, citing inordinate delay in disposing of his mercy petition by the President of India (two Presidential terms had expired before his petition was finally rejected) and mental harassment as he counts his last days of life in solitary confinement.
The HC bench, while dismissing Das’ petition, noted that he was placed in solitary confinement only after the President had rejected his mercy petition last year. Moreover, the circumstances of the crime, its impact on society and other factors did not concur for conversion of the death row, the HC bench added.
Das can now approach the Supreme Court for another review of the judgement within 90 days.
Earlier, the president had rejected his mercy petition, which had led Das’ mother to file another petition before the Gauhati High Court, seeking review, but her plea was also dismissed.
Das had surrendered before the police after beheading one Harkanta Das in broad daylight in busy Fancy Bazaar area of Guwahati on April 24, 1996.
Das is currently lodged in Jorhat central jail, which is the only prison with hanging facility in the state. (UNI)