Additional sessions judge VK Shewale will resentence Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus driver Santosh Mane, who was held guilty of killing nine people and injuring 35 others by hijacking a bus, on December 11. The incident took place on January 25, 2012. On Friday, arguments were heard by Judge Shewale from prosecution and defense lawyers on Mane’s quantum of punishment.
In April 2013, Mane was awarded death penalty by Shewale following his conviction. However, in September, a Bombay High Court bench set aside the death penalty and reverted the case to Pune court after the defence raised the issue. The case came up for hearing in front of Judge Shewale again in October and the defence made an application before the court requesting that Mane should be examined by a panel of psychiatrists as he was suffering from a mental illness and was unfit for making a statement as required by the law. The court accepted the request and directed Yerwada Regional Mental Hospital chief to appoint a panel to provide a report on Mane’s present mental condition. The report provided by the panel concluded that Mane was mentally fit and only suffered from minor complaints such as loss of sleep and irritability.
Mane’s defence lawyer Dhananjay Mane said, “The crime was conducted by Mane under extreme mental pressure and he was mentally unsound when he committed the act. There’s a good possibility that Mane can be reformed and rehabilitated. At the time of crime, Mane was a state transport driver and has no antecedent of crime. It also pertinent to note that he has no enmity whatsoever with the victims.”
Asking for death penalty, district government pleader Ujjwala Pawar said, “Mane has committed mass murder and sans any remorse for the ghastly act. Being a state transport bus driver he was aware about the law and value of man’s life. There is no remorse for his act.”
Barefoot in court box
After the last week’s incident of an accused hurling his footwear at additional sessions judge VK Shewale, the accused was asked to remove footwear prior to entering the box in the courtroom of judge Shewale on Friday.
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