Kidnap and murder of children: Bombay HC commutes Gavit sisters' death sentence to life

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has reduced the death sentence awarded to sisters Renuka Shinde and Seema Gavit for kidnapping 13 children and killing nine of them between 1990 and 1996 to life imprisonment.

The court reduced the sentence due to the inordinate delay in the execution of their sentence.

A Division Bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Sarang Kotwal, however, refused to free them as prayed by them as they have already spent 25 years in prison, saying their crime was heinous and “the brutality with which the children were murdered is beyond words to condemn”.

The bench clarified that their life imprisonment will be for the remainder of their lives.

The court rapped the Maharashtra government for the delay in sending their mercy petition to the President of India who rejected it.

The court also cited an apex court order which, while upholding their death sentence, said their plea was being dismissed as “they are a menace to the society”. (UNI)