In a dramatic turn of events, the Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench, has changed Guddu Chhotelal Rajak's punishment from the death penalty to life in prison. Guddu Rajak, who was found guilty of several serious crimes, including the murder of his daughter, will now spend the rest of his life in prison.
Guddu Rajak, a 40-year-old laborer from Nagpur, was initially given the death penalty by a special court on May 21, 2024. He faced charges under several laws, including:
The case focused on the tragic death of Guddu Rajak's daughter, who was found hanging in their home on November 6, 2022. The lawyers argued that Guddu Rajak made it look like a suicide to wrongly blame his estranged wife's family. His younger daughter said he forced the victim to stand on a stool and tied a rope around her neck.
“Don’t kill me,” the victim reportedly pleaded, according to her sister’s testimony.
The investigation found photos and suicide notes pointing to Guddu Rajak. However, problems with how the evidence was handled meant these photos were not used in the trial.
The High Court, led by Justices Anil S. Kilor and Pravin S. Patil, looked over the case and found reasons to change the death penalty to life in prison:
The High Court confirmed Guddu Rajak's guilt for murder and other crimes but changed his punishment from death to life in prison. This decision shows the court's careful approach in cases involving the death penalty, making sure every detail is looked at closely.
