Legal

Supreme Court Upholds Life Imprisonment For Convicts In 2007 BPO Rape And Murder Case

The Supreme Court has upheld the Mumbai High Court’s decision to convert the death sentence of two convicts involved in the 2007 rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman working at a BPO into life imprisonment. The Pune Sessions Court further sentenced the convicts, Purushottam Borate and Pradeep Kokate, to death in 2012 after they were convicted for the heinous crime.

Following the Mumbai High Court’s conversion of the death penalty to life imprisonment, the Maharashtra government filed an appeal. However, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Abhay S Oka, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, and Justice Augustine George Masih, rejected the appeal and upheld the decision of the lower court.

Also Read: Bomb Threats Disrupt Over 40 Delhi Schools, Prompting Swift Evacuations

In its ruling, the Mumbai High Court criticized the unreasonable delay in handling the mercy petitions and executing the sentence, stating that the state and central governments could have avoided the delay had they addressed the matter urgently. The court emphasized that any delay by the government or its agencies in processing the petitions would infringe upon the fundamental rights of the convicts.

The 2007 Crime And Legal Proceedings

In 2007, the victim, employed at Wipro’s BPO in Pune, brutally rape and murder by Purushottam Borate and Pradeep Kokate. The two men were arrest shortly after the crime and sentenced to death by the Pune Sessions Court in March 2012. Both convicts challenged the sentence in the Mumbai High Court, which upheld the decision. Their case then reached the Supreme Court, which also rejected their petition in 2015, maintaining the death penalty.

Following the rejection of their Supreme Court petition, the convicts further filed a fresh plea in the Bombay High Court, arguing that the delay in processing their mercy petitions warranted a reduction in their sentence. After reviewing the case, the Bombay High Court converted the death sentence into life imprisonment.

This verdict brings closure to a long-running legal battle surrounding the tragic crime.

Gopal Krishna

Recent Posts

Spiritual Fervour Meets Environmental Action In Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk traders join Baba Tiwari’s spiritual drive to revive the Yamuna, blending tradition with…

32 mins ago

Sanskar Bharati Celebrates Guru Purnima In Delhi; Honours Guru-Shishya Tradition With Music & Dance

Sanskar Bharati celebrated Guru Purnima 2025 in Delhi with classical music, dance, and tributes to…

56 mins ago

HM Amit Shah To Inaugurate BJP State Headquarters In Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the newly constructed BJP state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram…

1 hour ago

Coast Guard Rescues Two Crew Members From Stranded US Yacht

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the incident occurred on 10 July. The yacht…

1 hour ago

PM Modi To Hand Over 51,000 Appointment Letters At 16th Rozgar Mela

PM Modi will distribute over 51,000 appointment letters to new government recruits across India on…

2 hours ago

PM Carney Vows To Defend Canadian Economy Against Trump’s Tariff Threat

PM Mark Carney reaffirmed his government’s resolve to shield Canadian industries from the impact of…

3 hours ago