SC suspends life sentence in wife murder case, cites 8-year wait for MP High Court hearing
The Supreme Court of India has suspended the life sentence of a man convicted of murdering his wife and granted him bail, observing that the prosecution's case rests entirely on circumstantial evidence and that the criminal appeal pending before the Madhya Pradesh High Court is unlikely to be heard for several more years. The order was passed on 28 April 2025 in New Delhi.
Background of the Case
The petitioner, Shivendra, was convicted by a trial court alongside a co-accused for the murder of his wife and sentenced to life imprisonment. Following his conviction, he filed a criminal appeal before the Madhya Pradesh High Court and simultaneously sought suspension of his sentence under Section 389(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The High Court declined to grant him relief, prompting him to approach the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition (SLP).
What the Supreme Court Observed
A bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan took note of several critical factors while arriving at its decision. First, the bench underscored the nature of the evidence against the petitioner.
