In a significant decision, the Supreme Court on April 22, 2025, commuted the death sentence of Reji Kumar, a man convicted of killing his wife and four children, to life imprisonment. The decision was based on multiple mitigating factors, including his mental health condition, unblemished jail conduct for over 16 years, and lack of any prior criminal history.
The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol, and Sandeep Mehta, noted:
“Considering the facts that the convict-appellant had no prior antecedents; good conduct for the past 16-17 years of incarceration; difficulties in mental health and consistent efforts at being a model prisoner, we find that the imposition of death penalty would be unjustified.”
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The Court relied heavily on reports by the Probation Officer, the psychological assessment, and principles laid down in Manoj v. State of Madhya Pradesh (2023). The convict, Reji Kumar, had shown consistent improvement in behavior and even contributed towards social causes by donating his prison earnings to support bail for other inmates.
However, the Court was clear that the severity of the crime could not be ignored. The man had brutally murdered his wife and four young children, including his 12-year-old daughter who was also sexually assaulted.
“He shall spend the remainder of his days in jail, till his last breath, hoping to do acts of penance to atone for the crimes he has committed and particularly for the fact that he extinguished four bright flames,” the Court stated.
This tragic incident occurred in 2008 when the accused allegedly murdered his family over a period of several days. The victims included his wife, three daughters aged 12, 9, and 3 years, and a 10-year-old son. The prosecution and both the lower courts confirmed the brutal nature of the crime, with the High Court initially upholding the death penalty.
Despite the heinousness of the offense, the Supreme Court found rehabilitation and life imprisonment a more appropriate course. It emphasized that capital punishment must only be reserved for the "rarest of rare" cases, and in this case, the possibility of reformation could not be ruled out.
The case was titled Reji Kumar alias Reji vs State of Kerala. The appeal was partly allowed, and the death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment till natural death.
“We are of the view that he does not deserve to be set free,” the bench clarified, “but the death penalty is not justified in this case.”
Appearance:
For Appellant(s) : Ms. Sonia Mathur, Sr. Adv. Ms. Shreya Rastogi, Adv. Ms. Sakshi Jain, Adv. Ms. Maulshree Pathak, Adv. Ms. Ronika Tater, Adv. Ms. Shubhi Bhardwaj, Adv. Mr. Nikhil Chandra Jaiswal, Adv. Mr. Mukund P. Unny , AOR Mr. Mangesh Naik, Adv.
For Respondent(s) : Mr. P.V. Dinesh, Sr. Adv. Mr. Nishe Rajen Shonker, AOR Mrs. Anu K Joy, Adv. Mr. Alim Anvar, Adv. Mr. Santhosh K, Adv. Ms. Anna Oommen, Adv. Ms. Sayed Nazarat Fatima, Adv.
