Supreme Court Reduces Sentence for Woman Who Killed Daughters Under Mental Distress
The Supreme Court of India has given relief to a woman from Chhattisgarh who killed her two young daughters while claiming to be under the influence of “invisible powers.” The Court changed her conviction from murder to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said that the woman may have suffered a temporary mental breakdown. Her actions could be seen as a result of mental instability or a brief period of insanity.
Because she had already spent more than nine years and ten months in jail, the Court ordered her immediate release. She will not have to pay any fine.
The incident happened in 2015 in Bharadkala village, Chhattisgarh. The woman used an iron crowbar to attack her daughters, aged 3 and 5, leading to their deaths. Her sister-in-law witnessed the event and said the woman shouted that she was killing her own children.
The trial court convicted her of murder and sentenced her to life in prison. The Chhattisgarh High Court upheld the decision. The woman then appealed to the Supreme Court, saying she was not in her right mind and acted under the influence of an “invisible force.”
The Supreme Court confirmed that the woman did kill her children, but it questioned her intention. The Court said her claims, even without medical proof, could not be ignored completely. They also noted the lack of motive and her previously loving relationship with her children.
The Court explained that many mental health issues in rural India go unnoticed and untreated. People often mistake these problems for superstitions. The woman had little education and lived in a rural area, making it likely that she did not understand her mental health condition.
The judges also said that trial courts should carefully look into such cases where the accused claims mental health issues or strange influences. Courts can use powers under Section 165 of the Indian Evidence Act to explore these matters.
Finally, the Court stated that since the prosecution could not prove that she had the intention to kill beyond a reasonable doubt, her conviction should be reduced. The Court changed her charge to culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 Part II of the IPC.
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