The Bombay High Court affirmed the capital punishment given to a 45-year-old laborer for the murders of his son, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and sister's mother-in-law.

The division bench of the Nagpur High Court, presided over by Justice Vinay Joshi and MW Chandwani, rejected the appeal lodged by the individual and upheld the death sentence issued by the Sessions Court.

In 2014, Vivek Palatkar was found guilty by a trial court for the murder of his wife. While he was incarcerated, his two children resided with his sister and her family. Nevertheless, the high court acquitted him of the charges in this particular case.

Following his release from prison, Palatkar became embroiled in a conflict with his brother-in-law over legal expenses. This disagreement escalated, and at midnight on June 10, 2018, Palatkar used a crowbar to fatally assault his son, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and sister's mother-in-law.

In its 151-page ruling, the high court emphasized that Palatkar's cruel and ruthless behavior poses a significant threat to society.

The division bench noted that the case fell into the category of the "rarest of rare" and that any punishment besides the death penalty would be disproportionate.

“The accused would be a menace or threat to society. In our considered view, the case undoubtedly falls in the ‘Rarest of Rare’ category, warranting capital punishment. We have thoughtfully considered the case from every possible angle, and opinion that any other kind of punishment than the death penalty would be totally disproportionate and would amount to injustice,” the judgement reads.

The bench also noted that all of the deceased were fast asleep at midnight at the time of the attack and were in a defenceless position.

Case title: Vivek Gulabrao Palatkar vs State of Maharashtra