Karnataka High Court stays execution of Umesh Reddy

BENGALURU: The High Court on Thursday granted stay on the execution of BA Umesh alias Umesh Reddy, who was sentenced to death in the rape and murder of Jayashree Maradi Subbiah resident of Bengaluru in 1998.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice SK Mukherjee and Justice RB Budihal granted stay and directed the State Government to file objections.

The petitioner filed a petition seeking directions to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment for the delay of 27 months caused in replying to his mercy petition by the President of India.

He contended that due to 10 years of solitary confinement, he developed mental illness. Despite the psychiatrist recommendation to take him to NIMHANS, he was not taken. These facts were not communicated in the mercy petition before Governor and President.

Prison authorities in Hindalaga Jail in Belagavi were preparing for the execution of the death sentence after the Supreme Court on October 3 this year rejected his review plea.