Hoshiarpur (Punjab) : A man from Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, who burnt his two sons – aged four and six years – alive in his house in a fit of anger, was Tuesday sentenced to death by a court here.
The capital punishment was awarded to the convict within a record time of less than two months after the framing of charges.
Additional District and Sessions Judge J.S. Bhinder handed down the death penalty to Jasvir Singh, alias Jaswinder Singh, 37, a resident of Kallowal village in Dasuya sub-division, some 140 km from Chandigarh.
Stating that it was a “rarest of the rare” case, the judge held that Jasvir Singh carried out the “cold-blooded” attack on his own family and, hence, deserved deterrent punishment.
The incident took place Jan 27 when Jasvir Singh, according to a complaint filed by his wife Narinder Kaur, 28, set their house on fire and bolted from outside the door of the room where she and her two sons were sleeping.
Her sons, Lovepreet Singh, 6, and Lakhwinder Singh, 4, were burnt alive in the incident. She suffered burns as she tried to save her sons.
Kaur alleged that Jasvir had consumed liquor that day and had beaten her up with an iron pipe following an argument over non-payment of electricity bill.
“I am happy that he has been awarded death sentence. He should be hanged immediately for killing the two innocent boys,” Narinder Kaur told IANS after the verdict.
Jasvir was booked by police for murder (of children) and attempt to murder (of wife).
Lawyer Maninder Pal Singh said the court completed the trial in record time.
The charges against the accused were framed July 30. The first hearing after the framing of charges was held Aug 27, followed by three more hearings this month. The death sentence was awarded Tuesday.