Hisar: The Supreme Court has issued notice on a petition challenging the Punjab and Haryana high court’s order concerning the premature release of Sonia and her husband, Sanjeev, who are serving life imprisonment in the Reluram Poonia family murder case.
A division bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma directed the respondents to file their replies by March 9. While the apex court did not stay the high court’s order directing reconsideration of premature release, it restrained the authorities from publishing or implementing any final decision on the issue until the hearing of the petition in the Supreme Court.Advocates Aina Verma and Lal Bahadur Khowal, appearing on behalf of Reluram Poonia’s nephews — Jitendra, Kaushal, Satpal and Kamal — said the Supreme Court clarified that only the publication and implementation of the final decision were stayed until the special leave petitions are heard next, not the high court’s directive to the competent authority to reconsider the matter. On Dec 9 last year, the Punjab and Haryana high court granted interim bail to Sonia and Sanjeev, who were earlier awarded life imprisonment.
The high court also directed the competent authority to take a decision on their premature release within 2 months. This order was subsequently challenged before the Supreme Court by the victims’ family members.
The case dates back to August 23, 2001, when Sonia, along with her husband Sanjeev, murdered 8 members of her family at a farmhouse in Litani village of Hisar district over a property dispute. The victims included Sonia’s father, Reluram Poonia (50), mother Krishna Devi (41), sister Priyanka (14), brother Sunil (23), sister-in-law Shakuntala (20), nephew Lokesh (4), nieces Shivani (2) and 45-day-old infant Preeti.A Hisar court initially sentenced Sonia, daughter of former MLA Reluram Poonia, and her husband Sanjeev to death. Their mercy petitions were later rejected by the President. However, in 2014, the Supreme Court commuted their death sentences to life imprisonment, citing delay in the disposal of the mercy petitions.Subsequently, the convicts approached the High Court seeking premature release, following which interim bail was granted. The Supreme Court’s latest order put the implementation of any decision on premature release on hold pending further hearing.
