District and Sessions Judge Ashok Menon on Friday sentenced solar scam accused Biju Radhakrishnan to “imprisonment for life” in the Reshmi murder case.
Biju was directed to pay fine of Rs.1,00,000 in default of which he would have to undergo rigorous imprisonment of three years.
Mr. Menon on Thursday held Biju guilty of murdering his wife.
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Biju and his mother Rajammal, who were found guilty under Sections 498A and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, were sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs.50,000 each. In case of default, they will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment of six months.
Biju was also found guilty under Section 323 (causing hurt), for which he was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of one year and fine of Rs.1,000. In case of default, he will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment of six months.
He was also found guilty under Section 210 (destruction of evidence) and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of five years and fine of Rs.50,000. Default in payment of fine will invite rigorous imprisonment of one year.
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The prison terms awarded to Biju will run concurrently, the judge stated.
Special Public Prosecutor G. Mohanraj had submitted that he would not argue that Reshmi’s murder was a “rarest of the rare case”, inviting capital punishment.
Mr. Mohanraj, citing a Supreme Court ruling of 2001, submitted that Biju be sentenced to “imprisonment for life”.
The judge, while sentencing Biju to imprisonment for life, stated that the accused had committed a “diabolic, pre-mediated murder, which has destroyed the lives of two innocent children”.
In the sentence, the judge, quoting the relevant Supreme Court ruling, said “a sentence of imprisonment for life does not automatically expire at the end of 20 years of imprisonment but means a sentence for the entire life of the prisoner unless the appropriate government chooses to exercise its discretion to remit either the whole or part of the sentence”.