Testimonies Of Convict’s Father, Brother Among Key Evidence; Court Terms Case ‘Rarest Of Rare’Lucknow: A court in Kushinagar on Thursday awarded the death penalty to a 35-year-old man for brutally murdering his wife and three minor sons in 2021, describing the crime as falling in the “rarest of rare” category.Additional district and sessions judge Parmeshwar Prasad convicted Jitendra Kushwaha, 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 sons Akash (8), Vikas (6) and Rinku (4). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.01 lakh.According to police, Jitendra’s first marriage had ended in divorce amid allegations of domestic violence. He later married Leelawati and had three sons.The murders took place on the night of Aug 25, 2021. The next morning, Leelawati’s father, Ramjeet Kushwaha, lodged an FIR alleging that Jitendra slit the throats of his sleeping wife and children with a sharp-edged weapon. He also alleged that the accused attempted suicide by consuming poison after committing the murders.“Jitendra had demanded money from his wife to purchase alcohol. When she refused, the two argued. Witnesses told investigators that he later returned home drunk and attacked his family while they were asleep,” said Kushinagar SP Keshav Kumar.The prosecution’s case was strengthened by testimonies from the convict’s own family members, including his father and brother. Witnesses told the court that Leelawati frequently objected to Jitendra’s drinking habit and that relatives had repeatedly tried to persuade him to give up alcohol. They also testified that he had assaulted his elderly parents in the past and had subsequently begun living separately from them.The prosecution examined 12 witnesses and relied on oral as well as documentary evidence. The court held that the evidence established the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt and convicted him for the four murders as well as the subsequent suicide attempt.The superintendent of Deoria district jail informed the court that Kushwaha had remained in custody since Aug 31, 2021, maintained satisfactory conduct in prison, worked as a mason and had never been punished for any jail offence. The jail report also stated that he behaved normally with fellow inmates and prison staff.BOXWhy court called it ‘rarest of rare’In its order, the court noted that the murders were committed with a sharp-edged sickle used for cutting vegetables while the victims were asleep inside their home. Three of the victims were helpless children aged eight, six and four.The judge further observed that the crime appeared to have been premeditated, pointing out that the accused had brought his wife and children back from his in-laws’ house just a day before the killings.Given the brutality of the crime, the vulnerability of the victims and the circumstances surrounding the murders, the court concluded that life imprisonment would be inadequate and that the case qualified for the death penalty under the “rarest of rare” doctrine.
