Shimla, Sep 23 (NationPress) The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Tuesday revised the death sentences of two individuals, previously sentenced by a sessions court, to life imprisonment for the kidnapping and murder of four-year-old Yug Gupta. The heinous crime took place in 2014 when the child was lured with a chocolate. A third individual was acquitted of all charges.

The state capital witnessed public outcry, including demonstrations and candlelight vigils, following the incident.

Ironically, one of the convicted individuals participated in these demonstrations, advocating for the child's justice.

A special Division Bench, comprising Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Rakesh Kainthala, determined that the two convicts, Chander Sharma, 26, and Vikrant Bakshi, 22, will serve life sentences until their natural death.

In contrast, the court accepted the appeal of Tejinder Pal Singh, 29, and acquitted him of all allegations.

This case was escalated to the High Court by the Shimla sessions judge for the validation of the capital punishment, while the convicts contested their convictions.

"The appeal brought forth by accused Tejinder Pal Singh is granted, leading to his acquittal from all charges. Meanwhile, the appeals by Chander Sharma and Vikrant Bakshi are partially accepted, resulting in their acquittal from offenses under Sections 347 and 364-A of the IPC. Their death sentences are transformed into life imprisonment, which signifies their natural life until the end," stated the Bench.

Upon changing the death sentences to life imprisonment, the Bench commented, "We examined the case's circumstances and the state’s reports regarding the convicts' behavior in custody. The evidence does not indicate that rehabilitation is impossible for these individuals; therefore, despite our outrage regarding the crime, we cannot uphold the death penalty imposed by the trial court. We convert it to life imprisonment, meaning they will serve their natural lives behind bars."

Yug's skeletal remains were found in a municipal water supply tank in August 2016, two years after he went missing.

Reports indicate that the child faced severe mistreatment, including torture and forced consumption of alcohol before being discarded in the tank.

The accused, all neighbors of the victim, were charged with murder and remained in police custody since their arrest on August 22, 2016.

A charge sheet from the Himachal Pradesh police's Crime Investigation Department (CID) filed on October 25, 2017, revealed that the child had been missing since June 14, 2014.

Even after committing the crime, the accused allegedly continued to demand a ransom, according to the CID.

On June 27, 2016, the family received a ransom demand of Rs 3.6 crore, followed by three additional letters.

In a disturbing incident, an enraged crowd attacked Chander Sharma and Tajinder Singh in August 2017 while they were brought to court.

In response to the state counsel's claims regarding the brutal murder of the boy, the High Court remarked, "This argument lacks substantiation in the evidence provided. The records do not clarify the events following Yug's disappearance. Our conclusions are based on the last-seen theory, as there's insufficient evidence about what occurred between the time Yug went missing and the discovery of his remains in the tank at Keleston. Thus, it’s challenging to assert that the accused treated Yug with the brutality that would warrant the extreme penalty of death."

The Shimla District and Sessions Judge delivered the verdict in an extensive 800-page judgment, labeling them as murderers in 2018.