Supreme Court reduces death penalty of stepfather convicted of raping and killing 6-year-old

On Thursday, the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of Waris, a 56-year-old stepfather found guilty of raping and murdering his six-year-old stepdaughter in Madhya Pradesh in 2018. The bench, headed by Justice Vikram Nath and joined by Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi, affirmed convictions under Section 302 and Section 376AB of the IPC but ordered that Waris remain incarcerated for the remainder of his natural life with no remission.

The court stressed the grave violation of trust when a protector becomes a predator, yet noted mitigating circumstances including Waris's clean disciplinary record, good behaviour in jail, and a psychological report highlighting a deprived upbringing. Evidence comprised the victim's dying declaration, testimony from her mother, and the fact that Waris had three former wives who left him due to his violence. A medical board found him physically and mentally fit, and the decision balances the crime's severity with an assessment of potential reform.