SC commutes death penalty for two murders

The Supreme Court Wednesday commuted to life imprisonment the death penalty of Mahindra Nath Das who was convicted for two murders and whose mercy petition had been rejected by the president.

The apex court bench headed by Justice G.S. Singhvi allowed the appeal by Das, who had challenged the rejection of his mercy plea by then president Pratibha Patil in 2011 after it had remained pending for more than 11 years.

The petition had earlier been rejected by the Guwahati High Court. Das was held guilty of the murder of  Ranjan Das in 1990 in Assam. Six years later, he murdered Hara Kanta Das while on bail.