In a significant ruling in the 2003 Bengaluru techie murder case, the Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence of Shubha Shankarnarayan, the law student fiancée of the victim B.V. Girish, a software engineer, and her three accomplices. While confirming the punishment, the court has also granted them a window of eight weeks to file mercy petitions before the Karnataka Governor.
The case dates back to December 3, 2003, when Girish was murdered shortly after getting engaged to Shubha on November 30, 2003. Police investigations revealed that Shubha conspired with her boyfriend, Arun Verma, and two others, Venkatesh and Dinesh, to eliminate Girish. The motive behind the murder was Shubha's desire to marry Arun, a junior in her college, after her family had forced her into an engagement with Girish.
According to the prosecution, on the night of the murder, Shubha asked Girish to take her out for dinner and then to a spot near the airport to watch airplanes. While Girish was distracted, he was attacked on the head with a two-wheeler's shock absorber by the assailants. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital the following morning.
In July 2010, a local court found all four accused guilty of pre-planned murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The Karnataka High Court later upheld the trial court's decision. Shubha then appealed to the Supreme Court in 2012, which granted her bail. Subsequently, the other convicts were also released on bail.
Justices M.M. Sundaresh and Aravind Kumar, forming the Supreme Court bench, acknowledged that the convicts were young at the time of the crime, with "adrenaline pumping in their veins," and are now middle-aged. The court also noted that their conduct in prison has been satisfactory. While upholding the conviction and sentence rendered by the High Court, the Supreme Court allowed the four convicts eight weeks to file mercy petitions before the Karnataka Governor and stated that the convicts currently on bail should not be arrested until that window expires.
The Supreme Court bench made observations regarding the circumstances surrounding the crime. The court noted that Shubha was caught between family expectations and her own desires, leading to immense turmoil. The court stated that the incident was a result of a young, ambitious girl's voice being stifled by a forced family decision, which led to rebellion and a tragic end. The Supreme Court stated that it was an error of judgment through a dangerous adventure which led to the commission of a heinous crime and that they were not born criminals. The Justices also expressed that greater empathy from the family towards Shubha's mental state might have averted the tragedy. The court, however, clarified that while it recognized the complexities of the situation, it could not condone the act that resulted in the loss of an innocent life.
