Govindachamy sentence inappropriate: Krishna Iyer
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The eminent jurist, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, a vocal critic of capital punishment, has said that the Salem native Govindachamy who raped and killed Soumya deserved death sentence given the brutal crime he committed.
“But since I am always against death sentence, awarding it to Govindachamy is inappropriate,” he said. “In principle, I am against death sentence,” the jurist, who celebrated his 97th birthday on Saturday, told DC.
“I believe in the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, and so capital punishment should be abolished in the country.” However, Mr Iyer also added that the offence committed by Govindachamy was unpardonable.
The former Supreme Court judge said that he had recently sought the assistance of senior counsels, Mr Anil Dhawan and Mr Fali S. Nariman, to save A.G. Perarivalan, accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, from the gallows.
He had also pleaded with the President that Mohammad Afzal, accused in the Parliament attack, be not hanged.
“I had also urged the President to use the constitutional power of clemency bestowed upon him under Article 72 and annul the death sentence.”
Initially, the Code of Criminal Procedure had stated that death was the usual punishment for capital offences. However, the amending of Act 26 of 1955 removed this provision and the sentence was left to the discretion of the court.
Subsequently, there has been a further shift from death penalty and the new Code of Criminal Procedure says that life imprisonment was the rule and death penalty the exception.
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