The Bombay High Court has sought a fresh psychiatric and psychological report, as well as a Probation Welfare Officer’s report, about a man convicted of killing his mother and frying her organs on August 28, 2017, in Kolhapur city.
The bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Shyam Chandak was hearing a petition filed by the state seeking confirmation of the death sentence handed to the convict, Sunil Rama Kuchkoravi, who was sentenced to death by a Kolhapur court in 2021. Kuchkoravi has also filed an appeal against the sentence, which is being heard along with the confirmation plea.
According to the prosecution, Kuchkoravi gruesomely murdered his 63-year-old mother, Yallama Rama Kuchkoravi, around 2 pm on August 28, 2017, at Makadwala Vasahat in Kolhapur city. He later desecrated the body and ate some organs after frying them in a pan.
Advocates Yug Mohit Chaudhry and Payoshi Roy, appearing for Kuchkoravi, pointed out that the state must, in a time-bound manner, collect information pertaining to the accused such as his upbringing, surviving family background, education, socio-economic background, criminal antecedents, history of unstable social behavior, or mental or psychological ailments, and alienation of the individual.
The lawyers submitted that Kuchkoravi should be given the opportunity to produce evidence in rebuttal, towards establishing all mitigating circumstances, which could be done through these reports.
In line with this, the court sought a report from the prison authorities about Kuchkoravi's conduct and behavior, work done (if any), etc., for a more exact and complete understanding of the contemporaneous progress made by the accused. This would show if there is any reformative progress and reveal any post-conviction mental illness.
The report must be submitted to the court by July 10, when the court will hear the petitions next.
