HC commutes death of history-sheeter to life term

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday commuted the death sentence awarded to a convict in a murder to life imprisonment till death.

Kattai Raja, a history-sheeter, was convicted in the murder of Senthil Nathan of Senniyamangalam, Kumbakonam. The murder took place in 2013 at Thippirajapuram near Kumbakonam and a case was registered by the Patteeswaram police.

The Kumbakonam District Additional Sessions court after the completion of the trial in the case, convicted Kattai Raja and awarded death sentence to him and sentenced his accomplices Arumugam and Selvam to life imprisonment in April this year.

The accused in his petition filed in Madurai Bench of the HC sought to quash the death penalty.

A division bench of Justices PN Prakash and R Vijayakumar after hearing the arguments commuted the death sentence given to the key accused Kattai Raja to life term in prison. The bench then confirmed the conviction and life sentence awarded to two other accused Arumugam and Selvam.