‘He can reform’: TN man gets life from SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted the death sentence of a man, who kidnapped and killed a seven-year-old boy in Tamil Nadu in 2009, to 20-year imprisonment, saying there was a “possibility of reformation” even though he has committed a ghastly crime.

Observing that there was no reason to doubt the guilt of the man, a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud held that the man would undergo life imprisonment for 20 years without reprieve or remission.

The judgment came on a review plea filed by Sundar alias Sundarrajan who picked up the victim while he was returning from school in the school van on July 27, 2009. That night, the boy’s mother received a call from Sundar, demanding a ransom of Rs 5 lakh for his release.

On July 30, 2009, the police raided his house and arrested Sundar, who confessed to strangling the boy, putting his body in a gunny bag and throwing it in the Meerankulam tank.

The Madras High Court had in 2010 confirmed the death sentence, which was upheld by the top court in 2013.

But the bench, also comprising Justices Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, said even though the crime is unquestionably grave and unpardonable, it is not appropriate to affirm the death sentence.

“The ‘rarest of rare’ doctrine requires that the death sentence not be imposed only by taking into account the grave nature of crime but only if there is no possibility of reformation in a criminal,” the bench said.