New Delhi: The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the death sentence given to a man for killing a seven-year-old boy whom he had kidnapped for Rs5 lakh ransom in 2009 in Tamil Nadu.
Upholding the death sentence awarded to Sunder, the apex court bench of Justice P Sathasivam and Justice J S Khehar said there was no room in law for “any doubt that the offence of kidnapping for ransom accompanied by a threat to cause death contemplates punishment with death”.
Justice Khehar said: “Even without an accused actually having committed the murder of the individual kidnapped for ransom, the provision contemplates the death penalty.” The Class 2 student, Suresh, a resident of Karkudal village, some 200km from Chennai, was kidnapped July 27, 2009, and killed soon after.
Jutice Khehar said there was no doubt that Sunder has been “found to have kidnapped Suresh for ransom, and has also actually committed his murder”. The guilt of Sunder “must be considered to be of the gravest nature, justifying the harshest punishment prescribed for the offence”.
IANS
