LUCKNOW: A Kushinagar court awarded the death penalty to Jitendra Kushwaha (35) for the brutal murder of his wife and three minor sons in 2021, holding that the case falls within the “rarest of rare” category warranting capital punishment.Additional District and Sessions Judge Parmeshwar Prasad convicted Jitendra Kushwaha, under the charges of a resident of Gurmiya Gopal Tola in Kudwa Dilip Nagar village under Kasya police station limits, for the murders of his wife Leelawati (31) and their three sons, Akash (8), Vikas (6), and Rinku (4).Apart from awarding capital punishment, the court imposed a fine of ₹2.01 lakh on the convict.The killings took place on the night of August 25, 2021.The following morning, Leelawati’s father, Ramjeet Kushwaha, lodged an FIR accusing Jitendra of slitting the throats of his sleeping wife and children with a sharp-edged weapon. He further stated that after carrying out the murders, Jitendra attempted to take his own life by consuming poison.The incident came to light after villagers raised an alarm and informed family members.When Ramjeet reached the house, he found it locked from the inside. Police broke open the door and recovered the bodies of the four victims.Jitendra, who was found alive after the suspected suicide attempt, was admitted to hospital under police supervision.Following his recovery, he was arrested and sent to jail.“Jitendra had sought money from his wife to buy alcohol. After she refused, an argument broke out between the couple. Witnesses stated that he later returned home in an intoxicated condition and attacked his family while they were asleep,” said Keshav Kumar, SP, Kushinagar.Testimonies from family members, including the convict’s father and brother, played a crucial role in the case.Witnesses told the court that Leelawati had long opposed Jitendra’s drinking habit and that family members had repeatedly urged him to give up alcohol.They also stated that he had previously assaulted his elderly parents and had begun living separately from them.The prosecution examined 12 witnesses and relied on both oral and documentary evidence.Finding the evidence sufficient to establish guilt beyond doubt, the court held Jitendra responsible for the murders and his subsequent suicide attempt.The Superintendent of District Jail, Deoria, reported that Kushwaha had remained in custody since August 31, 2021, maintained satisfactory conduct in prison, worked as a mason, had never been punished for any jail offence and behaved normally with fellow inmates and prison staff.Police said that first marriage ended in divorce after repeated allegations of domestic violence.He later married Leelawati, with whom he had three sons. The report also recorded statements from villagers indicating that Kushwaha was responsible for killing his wife and children.
Why the Court Called It ‘Rarest of Rare’
The judge observed that the murders were committed with a sharp-edged vegetable-cutting sickle.The victims were asleep inside their own home. Three of the victims were helpless children aged eight, six and four.The wife and children were entirely dependent on the accused for protection.The crime appeared to be pre-planned after the accused brought the family home from his in-laws’ house a day earlier.The court held that life imprisonment would be inadequate in view of the brutality and circumstances of the offence.
