The Karnataka High court on Thursday stayed the execution of Umesh Reddy, who was sentenced to death in a rape and murder case, till the court adjudicates his plea for commuting death penalty to life imprisonment.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice Budihal R.B, passed the interim order after preliminary round of hearing of Reddy's petition.
The prison authorities were preparing for the execution of the death sentence, after the Supreme Court on October 3 this year rejected his review plea. The President had rejected his mercy plea way back in 2013.