Kochi: The Kerala High Court has decided to review the death penalty awarded in two cases that had created a stir in the state. The high profile cases mentioned are Jisha murder case and Attingal twin murder case. The High Court has ordered to initiate mitigation investigation to re-examine the decision to award death penalty.
The High Court has declared to examine various factors including the mental state as well as the social and financial background of Nino Mathew, the accused in Attingal twin murder case and Ameer ul Islam, the accused in Jisha murder case. The High Court has sought a report from Prison department regarding this. The Court’s decision is based on the guidelines of the Supreme Court. The lawyers of the accused have also demanded the same. The High Court division bench comprising Justice Alexander Thomas and Justice C Jayachandran has issued the order.
Based on the evaluations, the Court will decide whether to commute the death sentences. This is the first time that the Kerala High Court is ordering a mitigation investigation. The accused in 2014 Attigal twin murder case is in Poojapura central jail and the accused in 2016 Jisha murder case is in Viyyur jail.
Mitigation investigation is a study of the social, psychological and economic backgrounds of the convicts before confirming the capital punishment.
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