HC confirms death penalty for murderer

Mumbai, Jan 11 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today confirmed death sentence, awarded to a murderer, who had decapitated his victim in 2004 and was moving with his head from place to place.

A division bench, comprising Justices S Radhakrishnan and Roshan Dalvi, observed that the crime committed by Dnyaneshwar Haribhau Kulal was brutal and ordered that Kulal would be a great menace to society if left alive, while confirming the death sentence awarded to him by the Sessions court at Satara.

The Satara Sessions court had awarded death sentence to Kulal for murdering his close relative. He was under impression that the victim, Dhondiram, had practised black magic resulting in his father's death. After repeated quarrels over the issue, Kulal had threatened to kill Dhondiram on September 3, 2004, and the same day, the victim had gone missing.

Next day, a headless body was recovered from fields at Taralgaon in Faltan Tehsil, which was identified as that of Dhondiram, and an offence of murder was registered against Kulal. Thereafter, when a shepherd Dashrath Kachare came across Dnyaneshwar in agriculture fields, the accused had showed him the victim's head and threatened him with dire consequences.

The shepherd's evidence played a crucial role in convicting Kulal and also in confirmation of his death sentence.

Counsel for the accused had challenged the evidence of shepherd, saying that he had revealed the information seven months after the incident. But, the judges termed his evidence as reliable and trustworthy.

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