2024 INSC 987
1
REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL Nos. _________ of 2024
(@ Special Leave Petition (Crl.) Nos. 9015-9016 of 2019)
SAMBHUBHAI RAISANGBHAI
PADHIYAR APPELLANT(s)
VERSUS
STATE OF GUJARAT RESPONDENT(s)
WITH
Special Leave Petition (Crl.) No. 9162/2021
J U D G M E N T
K.V. Viswanathan, J.
Criminal Appeal Nos. _________ of 2024
(@ Special Leave Petition (Crl.) Nos. 9015-9016 of 2019)
1. Leave granted.
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2. Wednesday, 13th April 2016 dawned normally for the
family of Pravingiri Gosai (PW-9), a farmer, who also
alternated as the temple priest at Piludara village under the
Vedaj Police Station, Bharuch District in the State of Gujarat.
However, by dusk the situation had turned macabre for them,
when their four-year old child was found murdered in the
village outskirts.
3. The appellant herein stood trial for the offences of
kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of the said child and was
convicted and sentenced to death by the Trial Court. The High
Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad, by the judgment dated
03.04.2019 in R/Criminal Confirmation Case No. 2 of 2018
with R/Criminal Appeal No. 1207 of 2018, confirmed the
conviction and sentence of death imposed on him for the
offences punishable under Sections 302, 364, and 377 of the
Indian Penal...