2017 double murder case: Mumbai court imposes death penalty on accused

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A sessions court here has convicted and imposed the death penalty on a man for killing an old woman and a two-year-old girl here in 2017 by setting them on fire, noting the case falls under the "rarest of rare" category. Sessions Judge A Subramaniam, in a judgment delivered on November 7, noted the crime committed by the accused, Deepak Jath, undoubtedly falls under the category of "the rarest of rare" cases warranting the death penalty.

The prosecution case is that in April 2017, Jath poured some liquid on four persons -- two women, a 17-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl -- and set them on fire in suburban Bandra, leading to their death. One of the women and the two-year-old girl died due to burn injuries. The case is that Jath had earlier harassed the 17-year-old girl and was irked when he was admonished for the same. The court refused to accept Jath's claim he was not mentally sound.

"I believe that the manner of causing death and pouring inflammable material on the victims, and clod bloodedly lighting them up which included an old helpless lady and a small child of couple of years shows the dastardly act and classifies it as such," the court said. "Society abhors such crimes which shock the conscience of the society and always attracts intense and extreme indignation of the community," it noted.

Jath had, in his defence, claimed he was irked with one of the victims who had used certain derogatory words against him. The court, however, said, "Can that be said to be provocation or adequate provocation for committing such a ghastly act. I feel the answer lies in the question itself."

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