INDIA: SC STAYS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE MURDER

Justices Reddy and Nijjaar of the Indian Supreme Court stayed the death sentence of B A Umesh of Karnataka, for raping and murdering widow Jayashri in 1998. They passed orders to this effect when counsel for Umesh mentioned  the matter for urgent hearing by filing a write petition challenging the death penalty. Justices Kabir and Pathak of the apex court upheld the death sentence on February 1, 2011, as did the Karnataka High Court on October 26, 2006.