Death sentence for Kamal Shah

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, AUG. 29. The Pondicherry Chief Sessions Judge, Mr. E. V. Kumar today awarded the death sentence to 27-year-old Kamal Shah in the sensational Parvathi Shah murder case. Kamal Shah, brother-in-law of the deceased woman, was charged with raping and murdering her on July 14 last year and also causing disappearance of evidence and giving false information.

Pronouncing the death sentence, the Chief Judge said the verdict was subject to confirmation by the Madras High Court.

He also awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment to Kamal Shah for the offence of rape, and two years imprisonment each for causing disappearance of the evidence relating to the offences and also giving false information. These sentences would run concurrently.

Mrs. Padmavathi Shah, mother-in-law of the deceased was sentenced to undergo two years, imprisonment for causing disappearance of the evidence.

In the 115-page judgment Mr. Kumar said courts of justice could not be swayed by sentiments or prejudices and public opinion did not influence them. ``We cannot acquit or convict a person merely because the public wanted it. We go by conscience, law and evidence.''

He observed ``Well-trained judges with judicial sobriety would not give the mind to be swayed by public opinion. The justice delivery system in the country had not stooped to such a low level of delivering judgment according to public opinion.''

Mr. Kumar said the measure of punishment should depend on the atrocity of the crime, conduct of the criminal and the defenceless and unprotected state of the victim.

Tight security near court

Police were deployed in strength around the court complex in Pondicherry and the stretch of beach road was cordoned off today, when the judgment in the case of murder of Parvathi Shah was delivered by the Chief Judge.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr. Anandh Mohan, Superintendent Mr. S. Shanmugasundaram and a good number of police officials supervised the bandobust arrangements.

The Chief Judge said on Monday that there should be no room for any protest or demonstration around the court premises as it would amount to contempt of court.

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