NEW DELHI:
The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of a man sentenced to death for the repeated aggravated sexual assault of three minor girls aged between six and eight years.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih and Sandeep Mehta passed the order while hearing the convict’s appeal challenging the June 2026 judgment of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, which had confirmed his conviction and death sentence.
The High Court had found that the three children were subjected to aggravated penetrative sexual assault repeatedly over a period of nearly one year. It had rejected the plea for leniency and upheld the death sentence imposed by the trial court.
The Supreme Court, in its September 21 order, directed that the execution of the death sentence should remain stayed pending the final disposal of the appeal. It also ordered that the original records of the case be summoned from the trial court and the High Court.
The Bench directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit reports from all probation officers relating to the appellant within 16 weeks. It also sought a report from the Superintendent of Central Prison, Palayamkottai, on the nature of work performed by the convict while in prison and his conduct and behaviour.
The court further directed the head of Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital to constitute a suitable team to conduct a psychological evaluation of the appellant and submit the report within 16 weeks.
The Bench also permitted V S Varunanvelu, associated with the Square Circle Clinic, NALSAR University of Law, to have access to the convict. He has been permitted to conduct multiple in-person interviews to collect information relevant to sentencing and prepare a mitigation investigation report.
The matter has been posted for further hearing after 20 weeks.
The trial court had convicted the appellant in March this year and imposed the death penalty. The High Court subsequently dismissed his appeal and confirmed the sentence.
According to the prosecution, the convict was a neighbour of the three victims, whose parents were daily wage labourers. He allegedly took the children into a house and sexually assaulted them repeatedly over a period of nearly a year.
An FIR was registered in February 2023 under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Indian Penal Code. The accused was arrested on February 27, 2023.
Before the High Court, the defence had questioned the credibility of the victims’ statements, alleging contradictions and changes in their versions. The High Court, however, rejected the contentions and upheld the conviction and death sentence.