Jaipur: The Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed the special leave petition (SLP) of Raval Singh, a resident of Jodhpur convicted of killing his father, for suspension of his sentence.On March 22, 2022, Rajasthan High Court had dismissed his appeal for suspension of sentence as being devoid of merit. On Sept 1, 2021, the trial court had convicted Singh and sentenced him to life imprisonment.A division bench of Supreme Court Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice SVN Bhatti in their order stated, “There is a delay of 1,201 days in filing the SLP. We have considered the delay condonation application and we are not at all satisfied with the explanation furnished for filing the SLP with delay.”The bench added, “However, in the interest of justice, we have heard learned counsel for the petitioner on the merits as well. We are of the opinion that Singh, in the facts and circumstances of the case, can approach the High Court for the expeditious disposal of the (criminal) appeal itself.”The SC granted liberty to the petitioner to get his criminal appeal, which is pending before Rajasthan HC against the trial court verdict, expedited and to move a fresh application for suspension of sentence.“(If) any prayer for expeditious disposal (of criminal appeal) is made, it is expected the High Court will consider the same sympathetically,” the SC said. The case dates to 2016 when Singh’s father was found murdered in his house with a sharp weapon and Singh was admittedly present in the house. The axe used in the murder was later recovered by police.
