Kochi: Man gets lifer for killing son
During trial, the accused admitted to the crime while submitting that he had nothing to state before the court.
Kochi: A special court here on Thursday sentenced a man to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of murdering his six-year-old son at their house in Vengoor village in the district three years ago.
The Ernakulam special additional district and sessions court for trial of cases relating to atrocities and sexual violence against women and children also imposed a penalty of Rs 10, 000 on 39-year-old Babu of Vellaplavil House. Upon default, the convict shall undergo rigorous imprisonment for an additional year.The incident happened on September 10, 2016. According to prosecution, the accused strangled his son Vasudev to death and put the body in a sack. He then dumped the same in an unused well in a rubber plantation near his house.
During trial, the accused admitted to the crime while submitting that he had nothing to state before the court. Public Prosecutor K.A .Bindu argued for imposition of death penalty. However, the court observed that the normal punishment for murder is imprisonment of life and the extreme penalty will be justified only in rarest of rare cases.
"This case does not come within the ambit of 'rarest of rare' cases. Moreover, the accused admitted to his guilt throughout the proceedings due to the prick of conscience and pangs of compunction as the victim was his only son. Therefore, the normal sentence of life imprisonment for the offence of murder will meet the ends of justice," the court ruled.
The child's mother Raji, a sweeper with a private hospital, filed a missing complaint with Kodanad police after the father and son went missing from the house since the morning of September 10, 2016. Two days later, Babu surrendered before the police and confessed to killing of the boy due to "financial hardships and to facilitate his migrating to another state".