Pune rape, murder case: Convicts move Bombay HC challenging mercy plea

Pune, June 15: Two convicts in 2007 Jyoti Chaudhary rape and murder case has moved the Bombay High Court challenging the rejection of their mercy petition by the President.

The execution of Purshottam Borate and Pradeep Kokade is scheduled for June 24. A petition moved by them through lawyer Yug Chaudhary sought commutation of their death penalty.

At 10 pm, on November 1, 2007, Jyoti Kumari Choudhary, 22, was on her way to work, on the last day of her notice period at Wipro BPO.

Purshottam Borate, then 26, the company cab driver, who was on cab duty arrived to pick Jyoti up with his friend Pradeep Yashwant Kokade, then 20 years old. They drove to a secluded spot near Gahunje village where they raped and murdered her.

Post committing the crime, the duo proceeded to pick another employee up, stating they were delayed due to a punctured tyre. Her boyfriend had heard her ask the driver why he had stopped the car after which the phone was disconnected and was unreachable. Next day, her body was found at Gahunje village. She was raped and strangulated to death.

The duo were arrested the very next day.

The Pune court had convicted the duo in March 2012 and were sentenced to death. The sentence was later upheald by the Bombay high court, followed by the Supreme court in 2015. The President rejected the mercy petition filed by the duo in April 2016.

Jyoti Kumari, who was from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, was a science graduate from the University of Pune. She was staying with her sister and brother-in-law in Panchavati area of Pashan and had joined a call centre as an associate in December 2006.