7 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Friday (December 5, 2025) declined to entertain a petition seeking a absorption to the authorities to instrumentality an expeditious determination connected the mercy plea of Swami Shraddhanand alias Murli Manohar Mishra, the 87-year-old self-styled godman serving a condemnation of imprisonment for burying his woman live successful Bengaluru successful 1991.
A Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi dismissed the petition arsenic withdrawn aft expressing dissatisfaction with the submissions of advocator Varun Thakur, appearing for the petitioner. Mr. Thakur contended that the convict had spent 31 years successful situation without a azygous time of parole and was present successful a importantly deteriorated authorities of health.
Questioning the prolonged pendency of the proceedings, Justice Maheshwari observed that the petition had been adjourned connected six earlier occasions astatine the petitioner’s behest. “Had this travel earlier america earlier, we would person dismissed it connected the precise archetypal day,” helium remarked.
The Bench further noted that Shraddhanand had repeatedly failed to unafraid alleviation successful the past, referring to earlier orders dismissing his reappraisal petition challenging the condemnation of beingness imprisonment without remission, arsenic good arsenic aggregate unsuccessful applications for parole.
Additional Solicitor-General K.M. Nataraj informed the Bench that the Union Government was awaiting the Karnataka Government’s opinion, since the State is the prosecuting authorization successful the case. “Once their effect comes, we volition process it immediately,” helium said.
Three decades successful prison
Opposing the Bench’s reluctance to intervene, Mr. Thakur argued that the self-styled godman had spent implicit 3 decades successful situation “for a azygous incident,” adjacent arsenic those convicted successful the Rajiv Gandhi assassination lawsuit had since been released. He past requested liberty to attack the State authorities. The Bench, however, dismissed the petition arsenic withdrawn, declining to assistance the support sought.
Shraddhanand was convicted successful 2000 for murdering his wife, Shakereh Khaleeli, successful 1991 with the motive of taking power of her property. The transgression came to airy lone successful 1994, erstwhile the constabulary exhumed her assemblage from a 100-foot-deep ditch successful the courtyard of her bungalow connected Bengaluru’s Richmond Road. According to the prosecution, Shraddhanand had drugged her beverage and buried her portion she was unconscious.
Shakereh Khaleeli, the granddaughter of the erstwhile Dewan of Mysore, had earlier been joined to a elder diplomat and was the parent of 4 daughters. She divorced him successful 1986 and subsequently joined Shraddhanand. Her gruesome execution aboriginal became the taxable of a 2023 Amazon Prime Video docuseries titled Dancing connected the Grave.
In 2008, a three-judge Bench of the apical tribunal commuted the decease condemnation earlier confirmed by the High Court to “imprisonment for life,” and directed that Shraddhanand “shall not beryllium released from situation for the remainder of his earthy life.”
In October past year, the tribunal dismissed a reappraisal petition challenging the condemnation imposed. It reiterated that this peculiar class of condemnation had been affirmed successful consequent judgments, including the Constitution Bench ruling successful Union of India V.V. Sriharan (2015).
In his reappraisal plea, Shraddhanand had contended that the condemnation imposed upon him was not recognised successful law, arguing that the tribunal could either enforce the decease punishment oregon beingness imprisonment, but not imprisonment for the remainder of his earthy life.
