Hoshiarpur school boy’s killers on death row move SC again

After petitioners’ counsel G K Mann informed the court that a review petition has been filed in the apex court, which will come up for hearing on Tuesday, Justice R S Malik adjourned the case for next hearing to October 19.

The Punjab jail department also filed its reply in the case on Monday submitting the factual details of the case.

Both the convicts along with their third accomplice Sonia had abducted and killed Abhi Verma (16), a goldsmith’s son, for ransom in February 2005. The three were sentenced to death by a Hoshiarpur court on December 21, 2006, and later the High Court had confirmed the death sentence of the two on May 30, 2008, and had commuted death sentence of Sonia to life sentence.

Jasbir and Vikram were awarded death sentence by the Hoshiarpur trial court on December 1, 2006.

Petitioners’ counsel submitted that there was a delay of around seven years in execution of death sentence of the duo after Supreme Court had on January 25, 2010, upheld their conviction and delay of about four years on the decision of their mercy petition by Punjab Governor.

She added this gives the petitioners a cause of action to seek conversion of their death sentence into life sentence in view of the Supreme Court judgment “Shatrughan Chauhan & Anr. Versus Union of India & Ors”.