A woman and her lover were give death sentence by Supreme Court as she erased her whole family of 2 brothers, sister-in-law, parents and 2 minor kids by sedating them, as they opposed her love affair with a man and to grab her family’s property. Supreme Court was shocked by the brutality of the offence committed by the women and so the court awarded this sentence. Supreme Court has been lenient while giving sentence to female convict and has been reluctant to give capital punishment to them but in this case it awarded by looking into the heinous crime committed by the woman and her lover.
Justices S A Bobde and Arun Mishra along with Chief Justice H L Dattu had dismissed the plea of Shabnam and her lover Saleem, and it confirmed the death punishment which was imposed to them by Uttar Pradesh trial court and it was also upheld by Allahabad High Court. Dattu while pronouncing judgement told that a woman who came from a well-educated and independent family environment and worked as a teacher had come under the ill influence of lust and love and committed this brutal murder of her own blood relatives and the parents who gave her everything in life and also took the life of a 10 month old child.
Shabnam who herself was pregnant when she had committed the crime. She had conspired the crime along with her lover sedating them by giving tea to all on 24 April 2008. Later her lover entered their home in Amroha and slit the throat of 7 members of the house and Shabnam killed the 10 month old baby by strangling the child. Court held that she had the duty towards her family members which she forgot and brutally killed her own house people just to fulfil her desires to live with her lover and own the whole of the property.
Dushyant Parashar who was the Amicus Curiae had pleaded to the court that Shabnam was a mother of 5 year old child and if she is given death sentence the child would be orphaned but the court reject the plea and told that in Indian society daughters were considered to be more caring than sons and they feel the pinch more compared to the sons. Court also held that a daughter who is a care giving person and a gently hand who is responsible to the family members took such a horrifying step to erase her own family cannot be accepted in the society.
by Sushma Javare.