Delhi court awards life sentence to 32-year-old woman for smothering to death two minor daughters

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The Tis Hazari court in Delhi has awarded life sentence to a 32-year-old woman for smothering to death her two minor daughters in 2018. The court termed the crime a "cold-blooded murder", PTI reported.

The court observed that the gruesome offence shook its conscience as mothers have been idolised by the society owing to their nurturing role, sacrifices, emotional resilience and selflessness.

However, despite terming it as "rarest of rare cases" while pronouncing the verdict, the court did not award her the death penalty. Additional Sessions Judge Sachin Jain said considering the well-being of the two surviving children of the convict, identified as Leelawati, and the possibility of her rehabilitation and reintegration into society, life term was more appropriate than a death sentence.

According to the prosecution, Leelawati brutally murdered her two daughters, aged five years and five months, by smothering them on February 20, six years ago.

In its order, the court said, "No doubt, mother is always seen as a saviour because of her nurturing role and perceived sacrifice and for that reason, society intends to idolise motherhood, expecting women to be selfless, nurturing and emotionally resilient. Therefore, the act of murder of her own two daughters shakes the conscience not only of the court but of the society at large. Further, the act of smothering both the daughters by the convict is a clear-cut cold-blooded murder, bringing the present case into the category of rare of the rarest case."

However, it took into account the fact that the woman had two other children, a seven-year-old daughter and a son aged two. The court observed that their well-being and future needs had to be considered.

"The complete removal of their mother from their lives could have a profound and adverse impact on their upbringing. The convict is relatively young and there remains the possibility of her rehabilitation and reintegration into society after serving a substantial period of incarceration," the court said, while also imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 on Leelawati, who was convicted for murder in an earlier hearing.

The court further observed that there was no ground for payment under the Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme as the "beneficiary was the culprit" in the case.

"In the present case, this court is dealing with a peculiar case in which the convict is the real mother of the deceased victims or in other words the beneficiary is the culprit itself. Since both the girls/daughters/deceased have already lost their lives and the beneficiary is the culprit, who committed the gruesome murder and the father tried his level best to save the convict, instead of fighting for justice, therefore, no ground for grant of compensation is made out in the present case," the court order read.

(With PTI inputs)