The HC verdict came on appeals filed by the four convicts, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the remainder of their lives.
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday partly allowed appeals filed by three convicts challenging their life sentences in the October 2011 Amboli double murder case, in which Keenan Santos (24) and Reuben Fernandez (29) were killed while defending their women friends from eve-teasers. Keenan died soon after the incident on October 20, 2011, while Reuben succumbed to his injuries in a hospital on October 30, 2011. Justices Makarand Karnik and Sandesh Patil upheld the trial court’s May 6, 2016, conviction of Jitendra Rana for murder under Section 302 of the IPC.
However, they modified his sentence, reducing it to 20 years without statutory remissions, “considering his age”. They also acquitted Sunil Bhot and Deepak Tival, observing that there was “no material” against them to sustain their convictions under Section 302. Their other sentences, however, have been maintained. A detailed judgment will be uploaded in the evening.