HC upholds death to Rohtak girl who killed 7 of her family

THE GIRL AND HER BOYFRIEND — WHOSE DEATH PENALTY HAS ALSO BEEN UPHELD BY COURT — EXECUTED THE CRIME IN SEPT 2009

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of a girl whokilledsevenmembersof her family in Rohtak in September 2009 with her boyfriend’s help.

“The grisly act and the manner of commission of crime shows that both accused are monsters,” the division bench of justice AB Chaudhari and justice Kuldip Singh said, while justifying the death sentence.

The convicts Sonam Dagar, 27, and Navin Dagar, 28, both hail from Kabpulpur village and belong to same clan.

They were studying at Rohtak town and started liking each other. When Sonam’s parents got to know of their affair, they asked her to discontinue studies and restricted her to home.

Apprehending that her family will not accept their relationship, the duo eliminated Sonam’s parents (Surender, 45, and Promila, 40), brother Arvind , 15, grandmother Bhuro Devi, 70, and three cousins Vishal, 10, Sonika, 12, and Monica, 14.

Marriage within the same clan is considered a taboo in the rural Haryana. On the night of September 14, 2009, Sonam mixed some sedative in rotis and milk of her family members and strangled them with rope with the help of Navin after they fell unconscious.

To avoid suspicion, Sonam had tried to portray the incident as a robbery case.

Police had solved the case after tracking the call details of Sonam and Navin. Sonam and Navin were convicted under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and were awarded death sentence by the Rohtak district and sessions court on March 4, 2014.

“The murders were committed one by one. The conscience of both accused was not shaken even after committing the first murder. Accused Sonam was given birth and brought up by her parents. A woman by its very nature is merciful. From childhood, all necessary facilities were extended to her by her parents,” the division bench observed. “Death penalty in present case is desirable as the murders were committed in cold blood,” the bench added.