Mattoo case: SC commutes Santosh Singh's death sentence to life

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday commuted the death sentence of Santosh Kumar Singh in the rape and murder of Delhi college student Priyadarshini Mattoo. Santosh, a former IPS officer's son, was sentenced to death by the Delhi high court.

An apex court Bench of Justices H S Bedi and C K Prasad had on July 29 reserved its verdict on convict Santosh Kumar Singh's appeal challenging the verdict of the Delhi high court convicting and awarding the death sentence to him for the rape of Priyadarshini over 14 years ago.

Santosh Kumar Singh was acquitted by the trial court on December 3, 1999, but the Delhi high court had on October 27, 2006, reversed that decision by holding him guilty of rape and murder.

CBI has sought upholding of the death sentence saying the high court had correctly appreciated the evidence leading to his conviction.

Santosh, a law student in the Delhi University, had raped and murdered Priyadarshini, a third-year law student, in January 1996.