IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.5332 OF 2024 (Arising out of SLP(Criminal) No.13117/2024)
MALTI APPELLANT
VERSUS
STATE OF CHHATTISGARH RESPONDENT
O R D E R
1. Leave granted.
2. The appellant is convicted under Section 302 read
with Section 120-B & 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860,
and has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a fine
of Rs.1000/-. She was convicted in Session Trial Case
No.48/2015 which emanated out of FIR No.19/2015
registered at Police Station Chakarbhatha, Bilaspur.
3. The allegations are that the appellant along with
her co-accused, with whom she was in illicit
relationship, conspired and murdered the wife of the said
co-accused. The appellant was arrested on 23.01.2015 and
as per the custody certificate on record, by now, she is
about to complete 10 years of her actual sentence period.
The appellant was convicted by the Sessions Court vide
judgment dated 19.02.2019 against which she has filed
Criminal Appeal No.423/2019 before the High Court. She
applied for suspension of sentence, but her prayer was
declined by the High Court vide order dated 23.01.2024.
4. We have heard learned counsel for the parties.
5. Keeping in view that the appellant has almost
undergone 10 years of actual sentence and the criminal
appeal filed by her will take some reasonable time in
final disposal, we allo...