Orissa HC Commutes Death Sentence of Wife’s Killer, Orders 35-Year Jail Term

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of killing his wife and attacking his minor daughter, replacing the capital punishment with life imprisonment for a fixed period of 35 years.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Manas Ranjan Pathak and Justice Sashikanta Mishra passed the order on Tuesday in the case of Sanjit Kumar Das, who had been sentenced to death by a lower court.

The High Court declined to confirm the death penalty and altered Das’s conviction from Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code to Section 304. The court directed that he serve 35 years in prison.

The Bench also increased the compensation awarded to Das’s two daughters. While the lower court had directed payment of Rs 5 lakh to each daughter, the High Court raised the amount to Rs 10 lakh each.

The case relates to a gruesome incident at Ghatikia, where Das was convicted of murdering his wife and attacking his minor daughter by slitting her throat. The incident had attracted considerable attention due to the brutality of the crime and the involvement of the family members.

With the latest order, the High Court has retained a lengthy prison term for the convict while setting aside the death sentence imposed by the lower court.