The Patna High Court upheld the death sentence in a brutal triple murder case, invoking the Mahabharat to stress that violence rooted in Adharm leads aggressors to an inevitable and tragic end.
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PATNA: The Patna High Court has upheld the death penalty awarded to two convicts in a brutal triple murder case arising out of a land dispute, observing that the crime fell squarely within the “rarest of rare” category warranting capital punishment.
The High Court invoked the epic Mahabharat to underline that “aggressors who choose the path of Adharm ultimately meet a tragic end.”
A Division Bench of Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad and Justice Sourendra Pandey, while confirming the death reference under Section 366 CrPC, held that the murders were committed in a “cold-blooded, barbaric and pre-planned manner”, leaving no scope for leniency.
“The manner in which three unarmed persons were eliminated reflects extreme brutality and a complete disregard for human life,”
the Court observed.
Background of the Case
The case relates to an incident that occurred in July 2021 in Rohtas district, Bihar, where three members of the same family were allegedly attacked and killed with sharp-edged weapons over a long-standing land dispute.
According to the prosecution, the accused persons arrived at the disputed land armed with a talwar and spear, and when the victims objected, they were mercilessly assaulted in broad daylight.
The trial court convicted the accused under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC and sentenced them to death, referring the matter to the High Court for confirmation as mandated by law.
High Court’s Observations
In a striking part of the judgment, the High Court drew a parallel with the Mahabharat, observing that history and mythology consistently teach that aggression rooted in Adharm ends in ruin.
“The Mahabharat teaches us that those who walk the path of Adharm, driven by greed and violence, ultimately face annihilation. The aggressor cannot claim mercy after choosing bloodshed,”
the Court remarked.
The reference was used to emphasize the moral culpability of the accused and the inevitability of punishment for heinous crimes driven by dominance and violence.
While affirming the conviction and sentence, the Patna High Court stressed that the killings were not the result of a sudden provocation but were carefully orchestrated acts of violence.
“This was not a crime committed on the spur of the moment. The accused came prepared, armed with deadly weapons, and executed the victims with precision,”
the Bench noted.
Rejecting the defence arguments seeking commutation, the Court held that the aggravating circumstances overwhelmingly outweighed any mitigating factors.
“The brutality of the crime, the number of victims, and the complete absence of remorse leave no room for awarding anything less than the death penalty,”
the judgment stated.
The Bench relied upon the principles laid down in Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab and Machhi Singh v. State of Punjab, reiterating that capital punishment can be imposed where the crime shocks the collective conscience of society.
“The present case shocks the conscience of the Court and society at large. The victims were defenseless, and the assault was merciless,”
the Court said.
Justice Sourendra Pandey, in his concurring opinion, highlighted the moral dimension of justice, observing that unchecked aggression and unlawful dominance inevitably meet judicial consequences.
“History and jurisprudence alike show that injustice, when taken to extremes, invites its own downfall,”
the Court remarked.
The High Court highlighted the following factors while confirming the death penalty:
- Murder of three unarmed persons
- Use of lethal weapons
- Premeditation and collective intent
- Extreme brutality and cruelty
- Irreversible impact on the victims’ families
“Life imprisonment would be grossly inadequate in a case of this nature,”
the Bench concluded.
Accordingly, the High Court upheld the conviction and sentenced the accused persons to death and directed the payment of compensation to the three widows.
Case Title:
The State of Bihar versus Aman Singh & Anr
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