Death sentence to Santosh Singh in Priyadarshini Mattoo case

October 30, 2006

The Delhi high court awarded the death sentence today to Santosh Kumar Singh, who was convicted of rape and murder of a 23-year old Delhi University law student, Priyadarshini Mattoo on January 23, 1996.

The order by the High Court Division Bench comprising Justices R. S. Sodhi and P. K. Bhasin came after three-hour long arguments by defence lawyers and prosecutors over the quantum of sentence. Singh, Matoo's senior in the law faculty of Delhi University, was convicted on the rape and murder charges by the Delhi high court on October 17, 2006.

The court said, "Santosh Singh had been given many chances to reform by the police when Priyadarshini had complained that he was stalking her. However, he didn't mend his ways and eventually raped and killed her at her Vasant Kunj flat in Southwest Delhi."

The Bench further observed, "We are of the opinion that a case of this kind in which the crime is committed in a pre-meditated approach and grotesque manner, the convict deserves nothing other than death penalty."