Kataka: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday commuted the death sentence awarded to a man for murdering his wife and attempting to kill his minor daughter by slitting her throat in Ghatikia area of Bhubaneswar four years ago.
While commuting the death sentence awarded by a lower court, a Division Bench comprising Justice Manas Ranjan Pathak and Justice Sashikanta Mishra, sentenced the convict to life imprisonment for a fixed term of 35 years.
The lower court had in August 2024 sentenced Sanjeet Kumar Das to death after convicting him in the case. However, the High Court did not uphold the capital punishment and modified his conviction under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The High Court convicted Das under Section 304 of the IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment, fixing the period of imprisonment at 35 years.
The High Court also enhanced the compensation awarded to Das’s two daughters. While the lower court had directed payment of Rs 5 lakh each as compensation, the High Court increased the amount to Rs 10 lakh each.
The case had attracted considerable attention following the killing of Das’s wife and the attack on his six-year-old daughter in Ghatikia under Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar in 2022 following a dispute with his spouse.
