Delhi High Court has suspended the life sentence of a woman who was convicted of murdering her stepson on the condition to contribute to the social services during her bail period. The decision was taken considering the fact that the seven-year-old child of the convict is deprived of the care and company of a mother that he needs.
She was convicted of murdering her stepson in 2018. She was in custody for the past four years. The court has asked the convict to join and serve the Delhi-based NGO Pahal.
HC has left the decision to pay the convict for her services with the NGO itself and issued the directions to send the quarterly report of the work done by her to the investigation officer.
“In case it is found that the appellant is not willing to perform the pro-bono work of ‘Pahal’, it shall be open to the state to move an application for cancellation of bail granted to the appellant,” the court said.
The court has also directed the woman to stay available on the phone always. She is asked to share her location before the investigation officer once a month to mark her attendance.
“While on the one hand, the appellant has been found to be guilty of the serious and heinous crime of committing murder of her own minor stepson, on the other hand, the son of the appellantis suffering due to the loss of care and company of his mother. The family of the appellant is poor and the father of the child is working as a rickshaw puller and has to work throughout the day to make both ends meet,” the court observed.
