Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has reduced the sentence awarded to a blind woman who was found guilty of killing of her two children by the trial court. Dudapaka Haritha will now spend seven years in jail, instead of life.
A division bench comprising Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy and Justice J. Uma Devi modified the sentence following an appeal by Haritha, who challenged the order of the IV additional sessions judge of the fast track court at Warangal.
Counsel for the appellant submitted to the bench that the lower court did not take into consideration the circumstances under which she caused the death of her two children.
Referring to Dudapaka Haritha’s confession before the lower court, counsel submitted that her two children were repeatedly asking the blind mother about their father, who had neglected and abandoned them. Her frustration turned into sudden provocation when the children persisted in asking her about their father.
Being in a helpless condition Dudapaka Haritha was unable to answer their queries and killed the children by strangling them with her saree, counsel for the appellant said. Counsel told the High Court that after killing her children, she had attempted suicide.
Allowing the petition, the division bench opined that Dudapaka Haritha’s act would come under Section 304 Part-I of IPC for she killed her children under grave and sudden provocation.
