Bombay HC rejects plea to suspend life sentence of convict in murder of 15-year-old

MUMBAI: Bombay high court has rejected a bail plea by a man convicted of murdering a 15-year-old after committing offences under POCSO. The man, behind bars for over eight years, was challenging a conviction judgment of December 6, 2019 and sought suspension of his life sentence and to release him on bail.
The HC division bench of Justices PD Naik and N R Borkar on December 22, rejected his plea after the prosecution argued that the boy was found dead with several injuries and was sexually assaulted.An earlier plea for suspension of sentence was withdrawn by the accused in July 2021.
Though the case is based on circumstantial evidence, there has been recovery of the weapon --an iron rod--purportedly used in the crime. The HC and clothes of the accused had human blood hence it was not inclined to release him and rejected his plea.
"The discrepancies as urged by the applicant will have to be appreciated while final hearing of the Appeal. Considering these circumstances, we are not inclined to allow this application,'' the order said.