In a swift conclusion to a seven-month trial, the Bilaspur Sessions Court has sentenced a man to death for the murder of his wife and three young children.
Sessions Judge Avinash K. Tripathi delivered the verdict, classifying the case as one of the “rarest of the rare.” The court ruled that Umendra should be hanged until death. Umendra Kevat, 34, was found guilty of strangling his wife Sukrita Kevat, 28, and their three children, daughters Khushi (5), and Lisa (3), along with their 18 month old son Pawan. on the night of January 1st.
Umendra killed his wife and children shortly after a family celebration marking his parents’ wedding anniversary. The incident occurred in Hiri village, under Masturi Police Station limits.
According to the prosecution, Umendra returned home intoxicated that night. When Sukrita asked him for dinner, an argument ensued, escalating into violence. In a fit of rage, Umendra strangled Sukrita with a nylon rope as she stepped outside into the backyard. He then turned his fury on his sleeping children, killing them in the same manner.
Following the murders, Umendra attempted to hang himself, but the rope broke. He then searched for pesticides in the house but, finding none, eventually surrendered at the local police station, where he confessed to the crime.
The police investigation revealed the shocking nature of the crime. Sukrita’s body was found behind the house’s toilet, bearing marks of strangulation and injuries on her face and neck. The children’s bodies were discovered inside the house, with clear signs of being strangled with a rope.
The trial was conducted swiftly, concluding within seven months. Sessions Judge Avinash K. Tripathi, who presided over the case, described it as one of the “rarest of the rare.”
In his ruling, the judge noted the absence of any remorse on Umendra’s face and highlighted the cruelty and premeditation involved in the crime. The court emphasized that the three children were innocent, helpless, and unarmed, making the act particularly heinous.
Given the gravity of the offense, the court concluded that there was no scope for rehabilitation and that Umendra was unfit to rejoin society. “In this case, it would be appropriate in the better interest of society to give the death penalty to the accused,” the judgment read.