The Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused to suspend the life sentence of Sanji Ram, the main accused in the 2018 Kathua rape and murder case, stating that he does not deserve such relief at this stage.
Ram, a former caretaker of the temple where the crime occurred, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Pathankot sessions court in 2019. Two others—his nephew Parvesh Kumar and special police officer Deepak Khajuria—were also awarded life terms.
A division bench of Justices Gurvinder Singh Gill and Ramesh Kumari dismissed Ram’s plea on March 6, observing that the case did not merit suspension of sentence at this point. However, the court directed that his appeal against conviction be listed for final hearing in September, noting that he has already spent considerable time in custody.
According to the chargesheet filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch in April 2018, the eight-year-old nomadic girl was abducted on January 10, kept sedated inside the temple for days, sexually assaulted, and later killed.
During arguments, Ram’s counsel contended that despite examining over 100 witnesses, the prosecution failed to produce concrete evidence linking him to the crime. He also argued that Ram had already spent more than eight years in jail.
Opposing the plea, the prosecution maintained that the evidence and witness testimonies clearly established Ram’s involvement. It further argued that following his conviction, the presumption of innocence no longer applied, and he should not be granted bail.
The case, which sparked nationwide outrage, also saw three policemen sentenced to five years for destruction of evidence, while Ram’s son was acquitted. The trial was moved to Pathankot on the Supreme Court’s directions to ensure a fair and expeditious hearing.
