Odisha HC commutes death sentence of man convicted of killing wife, slitting minor daughter’s throat

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has commuted the death sentence awarded to a man by a lower court in a high-profile case involving the murder of his wife and the slitting of his minor daughter’s throat in Ghatikia. A Division Bench comprising Justice Manas Ranjan Pathak and Justice Sashikanta Mishra pronounced the judgment in the case on Tuesday. The lower court had sentenced Sanjit Kumar Das to death after convicting him in the case. However, the High Court did not uphold the capital punishment and modified his conviction under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The High Court convicted Das under Section 304 of the IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment, fixing the period of imprisonment at 35 years. The High Court also enhanced the compensation awarded to Das’s two daughters. While the lower court had directed payment of ₹5 lakh each as compensation, the High Court increased the amount to ₹10 lakh each. The case had attracted considerable attention following the killing of Das’s wife and the attack on his minor daughter in Ghatikia.