Odisha High Court recently delivered a shocking verdict in a 2014 rape and murder case involving a 6-year-old girl. The convict, S.K. Asif Ali, originally sentenced to death by a POCSO court in Jagatsinghpur, had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. The court's reasoning behind this decision has left many puzzled.
In 2014, Asif Ali raped and murdered a six-year-old girl. The POCSO court found him guilty and sentenced him to death. However, upon review, the High Court reduced the sentence to life imprisonment. The court noted that Ali had been praying daily, performing Namaz multiple times, and showing repentance.
In their 106-page verdict issued on June 27, the bench highlighted that Ali had surrendered to God and was ready to accept his crime. Thus, the court decided to reduce his sentence from death to life imprisonment. Additionally, the High Court modified the POCSO court's order of Rs. 1.50 lakh compensation to the victim's family, increasing it to Rs. 10 lakh.
Justice Sahoo, who penned the verdict, added further reasons for commuting Ali's sentence. Ali has a 63-year-old mother and two unmarried sisters dependent on him. The family’s financial condition was dire, and Ali had shown good behavior in jail. The division bench of Justice S.K. Sahoo and Justice R.K. Patnaik delivered this decision.
This judgment has sparked widespread criticism. Many legal experts question how frequent prayers could influence the commutation of a death sentence to life imprisonment.
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