HC commutes death sentence of man who pushed girlfriend onto tracks as another train ran her over

Madras High Court

In Chennai, the Madras High Court has reduced the death penalty of D Sathish -- convicted of killing his former girlfriend in 2022 -- to a life sentence, holding that he must remain in prison for at least 20 years without any statutory remission.

Death sentence cut to life term by High Court for man who pushed girlfriend onto tracks before she was struck by a trainHigh Court commutes death sentence of man who pushed girlfriend onto tracks before another train ran over her

High Court reduces death penalty for man who shoved girlfriend onto railway tracks, where an oncoming train killed her

HC commutes death sentence of man who pushed girlfriend onto tracks as a train approached

Death sentence cut to life term by High Court for man who pushed girlfriend onto tracks before she was struck by a train

The ruling came from a division bench of Justices N Sathish Kumar and M Jothiraman, which partly allowed his appeal.

According to the case records, Sathish had been waiting at the St Thomas Mount railway station not only on the day of the incident but even the previous day.

The court noted that this showed he had “meticulously executed his plan of doing away (with) the deceased.”

The young woman, a college student, had rejected him, and witnesses confirmed both the past relationship and earlier complaints that accused him of stalking and causing disturbances.

The bench pointed out that Sathish had even created a scene outside her college as he wished to “eliminate the deceased in view of the fact that she disowned him.”

The fatal incident occurred when he pushed her onto the tracks as a train was entering the station. Before she could recover, the train ran over her.

After reviewing testimony and material evidence, the judges said it was clear that “only the accused had pushed the deceased in a fit of rage due to the failure in love affair.”

They rejected arguments that his actions might fall under any exception, concluding that the charge under section 302 of the IPC stood fully proven and he was “certainly liable” for punishment under that provision.

The court also made a pointed observation that it was the woman’s absolute right to choose her partner, and “merely because the deceased girl disowned him will not give licence to the accused to take away her life.”

The tragedy extended beyond her death -- her father later died by suicide, and her mother, who was battling cancer, also passed away. The bench remarked that the entire family had been “devastated and shattered.”

Yet, while acknowledging that Sathish had clearly intended to kill her, the judges weighed other factors such as his age, lack of previous criminal history, and assessments from the Probation Officer and the Superintendent of Prisons.

They noted that his conduct reflected someone “mentally and emotionally disturbed due to frustration on account of the failure of his relationship,” and that he had “better chance of being reformed.”

Highlighting that sentencing aims for reformative rather than retributive justice, the court said that life imprisonment -- without remission for 20 years -- would “meet the ends of justice.”