Hanging of serial rapist-killer Umesh stayed

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice Budihal, directed the Union and the State Governments to file their objections, if any on the petition filed by Umesh Reddy, within 10 days. Umesh Reddy’s Advocate Prof Ravikumar in his application had sought a stay on the death sentence stating that the delay to act on his mercy petition by the President for more than two years had created mental agony to his client who was expecting decision in his favour. A former Jawan of the CRPF and later the State Armed Reserve Police, Umesh had been accused of killing 18 women and raping 20 women across Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. He was, however, convicted in only nine cases, one of them being the rape and murder of Jayashree Subbaiah, a housewife in Peenya in 1998. He was, however, acquitted in 11 cases due to lack of evidence. On October 26, 2006, Judge K Sukanya of the Bangalore city Fast Track Court ordered multiple sentences, including a death sentence, a seven-year sentence, Rs 25,000 fine and a 10year sentence plus Rs 25,000 fine. In November 1996, Umesh had attempted to rape a high school girl in Chitradurga. The girl managed to escape by hitting him with a stone. A month later he raped and murdered 16-yearold Roopa in Chitradurga. In January, 1997, the girl he attempted to rape identified him at a Republic Day police parade and he was then arrested and dismissed from service. A court ordered that he be shifted to Ballari jail from Chitradurga. Umesh managed to escape from police custody while he was being handed over to Ballari jail. After his escape, he killed 4 women. Police said Umesh managed to escape from police custody six times.