Madhubani: A court in Bihar’s Madhubani district has sentenced a woman and her co-accused to death after convicting them of the murder of her two young children in a case dating back to July 2023.
Additional District and Sessions Judge-II Abhishek Ranjan of the Jhanjharpur court described the crime as falling within the “rarest of rare” category while awarding the death sentence to Anita Devi and Jaishankar Mandal. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 60,000 on each convict. Failure to pay the fine will attract additional imprisonment.
Case Relates To 2023 Killings
According to the prosecution, Anita Devi, a resident of Narhi village under the Andhramath police station area, left her home on July 3, 2023, with her four-year-old son, Prince, and her 18-month-old daughter, Srishti.
When the three did not return, family members began searching for them and later informed the police.
Investigation And Arrest
Police alleged that Anita Devi and Jaishankar Mandal killed the two children and disposed of their bodies in the Balan River near Khopa Bridge in an attempt to destroy evidence.
During the investigation, the body of Prince was recovered from the river, while the body of Srishti could not be recovered after reportedly being swept away by the current.
According to the prosecution, local residents apprehended the two accused and handed them over to the police. An FIR was registered at Phulparas police station on the complaint of the children’s father, Pramod Kumar Safi.
Both accused had remained in judicial custody since July 11, 2023.
Court Cites ‘Rarest Of Rare’ Doctrine
After examining the evidence and hearing arguments from both sides, the court convicted the accused and held that the nature of the crime warranted the death penalty under the “rarest of rare” doctrine.
The court observed that the victims were young children and that the circumstances of the offence justified the maximum punishment under law.
Family Reacts To Verdict
The children’s father, Pramod Kumar Safi, and other family members said the verdict brought a measure of justice, while adding that the loss of the two children remained irreparable.
The death sentence is subject to confirmation by the jurisdictional High Court, as required under Indian law before it can be carried out.
