SC stays death penalty of man convicted for rape-murder of 4-year old

The Supreme Court has stayed the death sentence awarded to a 22-year-old man convicted of committing rape and murder of a four-year-old girl.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud Monday called for the original records of the case and directed that "there shall be stay of execution of death sentence awarded to the appellant". The order was uploaded on the top court's website Tuesday.

Convict Vinod alias Rahul Chouhtha, who hails from the Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, had moved the apex court challenging the high court's order of August 8 upholding his death sentence awarded for rape and murder of the minor.

While upholding the death penalty, the high court had observed that the state was not "soft" where the "predators committing such serious crimes may get reprieve in the guise of humanity".

"Humanity is more in danger at the hands of such persons. We find that there is no mitigating circumstance in favour of the appellant (Vinod)," a division bench of the high court had said in its order.

Vinod was awarded capital punishment by a POCSO special court in Shahdol district on February 28. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 5/6 of POCSO Act.

He had lured the child with biscuits and then raped and killed her on May 13, 2017. Her body was found behind the bushes in the village area.