Life term to man for stabbing 85-yr-old man, his son to death

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court for stabbing an 85-year-old man and his son to death six years ago when they were sleeping in their house.

Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Jain handed down the jail term to the man, a south Delhi resident, for murder and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.

"Considering the gravity of offence, the convict needs a commensurate sentence which may satisfy social and legal expectations. The convict is accordingly sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life," the judge said.

A complaint had been lodged by Jagbir Singh who witnessed the horrifying sight of his father and brother being stabbed by the convict and his men in 2012.

The court, while holding Sunder Singh guilty, relied on the post-mortem reports and Jagbir's statement.

It also relied on the statement of the aged father, who died 10 days later during treatment, that he was attacked along with his son by Sunder and some other persons.

According to the prosecution, on the night of December 7, 2012, Jagbir was at his dhaba near Saket here, when Sunder went there in a drunken condition and they both had an altercation.

Later that night, Sunder went to Jagbir's house with a knife but when he could not find him, he stabbed his father and brother, who were sleeping in the courtyard of their house, it said.

While Jagbir's brother died on the spot, his father died 10 days later during treatment, the police said.

However, the accused denied the allegations and claimed that he was falsely implicated.

The court, while punishing Sunder, observed that a delicate balance had to be struck while deciding the sentence.

"Sentencing is the most delicate aspect of criminal law. There are no set parameters and therefore, the sentences bear individual stamp of the sentencer," it said.

"The sentence needs to be adequate and in consonance with the offence committed, it should neither be harsh nor should be light. Striking such a delicate balance is very crucial for a judge in the role of a sentencer," it said.