Supreme Court Stays Death Penalty Given To Man For Killing Wife, Children

The Supreme Court stayed the execution of the death sentence given to a man by an Allahabad High Court bench, till further orders and directed to constitute a suitable team for carrying out a psychological evaluation of the appellant man, convicted of killing his wife and children.

The directive came on a plea filed on behalf of the convict, Deen Dayal Tiwari, challenging the order by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on May 9, awarding him the death penalty.

A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala on December 7 ruled, "There shall be a stay of the execution of the sentence of death, pending further orders."

The court directed that the head of King George's Medical University, Lucknow constitute a suitable team for the purpose of carrying out a psychological evaluation of the appellant. 

The report of the evaluation shall be submitted to the Supreme Court through the standing counsel for Uttar Pradesh within a period of eight weeks, the Bench further directed.

The bench further directed that a psychologist shall have access to the appellant, who is presently lodged in District Jail, Ayodhya, and will submit a report on his psychological assessment of the convict.

The court took into account the principles laid down during the judgement in the Manoj v State of Madhya Pradesh matter and issued several directions to the respondent in the case -- the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The respondent state was directed to place a report of all probation officers on the appellant within a period of eight weeks.

The court also directed the superintendent of the District Jail, Ayodhya, to submit a report on the nature of work done by the appellant in jail, and another on the conduct and behaviour of the convict behind bars, within a period of eight weeks.

Tiwari was convicted for killing his wife and four daughters in November 2011.

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