HC bins rapist-killer Umesh Reddy’s plea for commutation of death penalty

The bench granted time of six weeks to challenge the order before the SC since the matter involved death penalty and execution

The High Court has rejected serial rapist B A Umesh Reddy’s plea for commutation of death sentence imposed on him. Umesh was convicted for rape and murder of a widow in Peenya police station limits in 1998.

In his petition, he claimed that there was an inordinate delay in considering his mercy application. A division bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Pradeep Singh Yerur perused the records and noted that there was no delay by either the Governor of Karnataka or the President of India in considering his mercy pleas.

The bench, however, granted time of six weeks to challenge the order before the Supreme Court since the matter involved death penalty and execution.

Umesh Reddy had filed the petition in 2016 citing 'compelling supervening circumstances'. The court stayed his execution by way of an interim order on October 20, 2016. In his petition, Umesh had claimed that there is an avoidable and excessive delay of two years and three months (830 days) in disposal of his mercy petition, filed by his mother.

Umesh had also claimed that he had suffered solitary confinement of 10 years. The mercy plea before the president was filed in February 2011. The Supreme Court had rejected his review petition in 2016.

Umesh Reddy was convicted by the trial court in 2006 in the case of rape and murder of a widow on February 28, 1998. The conviction was confirmed by the Karnataka high court as well as the apex court.

Umesh Reddy, a native of Chitradurga, was a police constable and is accused in several cases of rape, murder and robbery in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

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