SC stays rape-murder convict's execution

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the death sentence given to a man convicted for rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Dehradun. The top court, while hearing an appeal against the Uttarakhand High Court's order which upheld a trial court's ruling giving the man a death sentence, ruled that the accused's psychological evaluation should be done, PTI reported.

The SC added that the report of the evaluation also must be submitted before it. SC bench headed by Justice UU Lalit said, Issue notice of lodgment of appeal to the state of Uttarakhand, returnable on May 4, 2022,"

Further, the bench said that an intimation of the operation of the death sentence being stayed must be sent to the concerned prison immediately.

For the psychological evaluation of the convict, the bench directed the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, to form a team and submit a report by April 25

The court then posted the case for further hearing on May 4 and ordered jail authorities to render full cooperation to facilitate access and due evaluation of the convict.

The convict Jai Prakash was sentenced to death by a trial court in August 2019 after he was charged with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and IPC. The case on him was registered on a complaint by the victim's father in July 2018. Jai Prakash took the victim to his hut while she was playing. The victim's body was found at Prakash's hut near a construction site, where he was a labourer.

During the trials, though he claimed that he was falsely accused, the court ruled he was guilty. Uttarakhand HC upheld the lower court ruling in January 2020.