Mumbai: Death penalty sought for Sakinaka rape-murder convict

The police have sought the death penalty for Mohan Chauhan, convicted for the brutal rape and murder of a 32-year-old woman in Sakinaka in September last year. The sentencing is expected today.

The court had convicted him of all charges on Monday. Chauhan was in the witness box on Wednesday for the court to hear him during the proceedings for deciding the quantum of sentence. Several times during the prosecution’s arguments, he interrupted the proceedings, making allegations on the police for fabricating the case and mocking the prosecutor. Additional Sessions Judge HC Shende reprimanded him for his behaviour and asked him to maintain decorum in court.

Seeking capital punishment for Chauhan, prosecutor Mahesh Mule argued that as per a catena of judgments the punishment should be adequate for the offence. India has not abolished the death penalty even when 108 nations have as the crimes and their brutality has grown, he argued. The photographs produced before the court show the gravity and perversity of the crime, he added. He also averred to the conduct of the accused during the trial and said there is no scope for reformation. He said that the victim had gone through unbearable pain in the short time that she was alive after the incident and was unable to speak due to the shock.

Chauhan’s advocate Kalpana Waskar sought leniency for him and argued that the case cannot be compared to the Nirbhaya gangrape case as it is not a case of gangrape and denied that it falls in the category of ‘rarest of rare’ to warrant the death penalty. A harsh punishment will not give a chance to reform, she said, seeking that he be given a chance.

The victim had succumbed to grievous injuries a day after the fatal assault in which a sharp weapon was inserted in her private part.

Published on: Wednesday, June 01, 2022, 09:29 PM IST