Mumbai Court Sentences Man to Death for Setting Fire to Elderly Woman, Child
Judge Says Case "Rarest of Rare"
An elderly mother and a two-year-old daughter were killed by fire at this location in 2017, and a sessions court in Mumbai has sentenced a man to death, stating that this case definitely qualifies as the "rarest of rare".
In the ruling against the defendant, Deepak Jath, Sessions Judge A Subramaniam said on Tuesday that "society abhors such crimes which shock the conscience of the society and always attract intense and extreme indignation of the community." According to the prosecution, Jath lit four people on fire in the Bandra suburb of April 2017 after pouring liquid on two ladies, a 17-year-old girl, and a 2-year-old kid.
Burn injuries claimed the lives of the two-year-old daughter and one of the ladies.
Jath was upset when he was reprimanded for harassing the 17-year-old girl since he had done it previously.
Jath claimed he was not mentally sound, but the court rejected this argument.
"I believe that the manner of causing death and pouring inflammable material on the victims, and cold 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 attract intense and extreme indignation of the community," it said.
Jath defended himself by saying he was annoyed by one of the victims for using some hurtful language against him.
But the court asked, "Can it be considered provocation or sufficient provocation for carrying out such a horrific act? I believe the question itself contains the solution."
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