The Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court has set aside the death sentence awarded to Uddappa Ganiger by a Belagavi district court in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Instead, the bench imposed rigorous life imprisonment on the convict.
Judgment Details
A division bench comprising Justice HP Sandesh and Justice B Muralidhar Pai delivered the judgment on a petition challenging the death penalty. The court also directed that compensation of Rs 5 lakh must be paid to the mother of the deceased victim, an increase from the Rs 3 lakh ordered by the lower court.
Case Background
The case was registered on September 21, 2017, against Uddappa Ganiger, a resident of Kurabagodi village in Raibag taluk of Belagavi district. The charges involved the abduction, rape, and murder of a minor girl.
Lower Court Verdict
The Belagavi district court had, on September 27, 2024, awarded the death penalty to Uddappa and ordered Rs 3 lakh compensation to the victim's mother. Challenging this order, the accused approached the High Court through his advocate, DJ Nayak.
The High Court, after hearing arguments, modified the sentence to rigorous life imprisonment, citing the circumstances of the case. The court emphasized that while the crime was heinous, the evidence did not warrant the rarest of rare doctrine for the death penalty.
