Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 28: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Vijay Thakur, who was convicted of killing his father, noting that he has already spent nearly five years in jail — half of his 10-year sentence imposed by the Chhattisgarh High Court.

A Bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order while hearing Thakur’s special leave petition (SLP) challenging his conviction and sentence.

“Having regard to the facts of the case and the period of sentence already undergone, we deem it appropriate to suspend the sentence awarded by the High Court during the pendency of this appeal,” the Bench observed.

The case dates back to an incident in which Thakur allegedly assaulted his father with a wooden stick, resulting in his death. The trial court had convicted him under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

However, in April last year, the Chhattisgarh High Court modified the conviction to culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 Part-I IPC, reducing the punishment to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Sonia Mathur informed the court that Thakur had already completed about four years and eleven months of his sentence and sought suspension of the remaining term until the appeal is decided.

Taking note of the time served, the apex court directed Thakur’s release on bail “on such terms and conditions as the trial court may deem fit.”
The Bench also expressed concern that, despite an earlier directive, records from the lower courts had not yet been received, and instructed that they be submitted promptly for further proceedings.