Overview
- The High Court upheld Virender alias Bholu’s conviction on a circumstantial chain that included last-seen testimony, CCTV footage, and recovery of the child’s body from his home.
- The sentence was set at rigorous imprisonment for life with a minimum of 30 years’ actual incarceration without remission, and a fine of Rs 30 lakh payable to the victim’s family.
- Judges cited the absence of premeditation, no prior criminal antecedents, and non-violent prison conduct to favor prolonged incarceration over capital punishment.
- The court ordered incapacitation to protect the public, saying the convict should remain confined until he is closer to the “sunset of his virility.”
- Kamla Devi, the convict’s mother, was acquitted after the court found her disclosure inadmissible and no independent evidence of conspiracy, even as it criticized a ‘raja beta’ mindset that shields sons.