[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

August 18



INDIA:

Andhra serial killer who hammered four to death in Nellore last year to be 
hanged----Venkatesh had been nabbed by the Nellore district police in July last 
year.



A notorious serial killer in Andhra Pradesh was sentenced to death by a Nellore 
court on Thursday, after he was found guilty of murdering 4 people with a 
hammer, before robbing them.

28-year-old Kukkapalli Venkateswarlu alias Venkatesh had been nabbed by the 
Nellore district police in July last year.

A native of Yerrabotlapalle in Kondapuram mandal, Venkatesh was a Class 9 
dropout, who ran a fast food stall, and committed the murders and robberies 
when he fell short of cash, the police said.

The police also added that he was an alcoholic, with many vices.

According to the police, Venkatesh used to plan his robberies by identifying 
houses in which only women or children were present, and observe the movement 
of people in the area.

He would then hatch a plan, and target the house when it was easy for him to 
commit the murder, rob the victims, and flee.

Venkatesh's 1st murder involved one Shimuni Kavita, who he hammered to death, 
before making away with her gold ornaments.

Following this, Venkatesh had killed a temple priest and his wife on April 1, 
2016.

Another murder of a teacher in the Children's Park area of Nellore in July that 
same year, led to his arrest, as the victim's husband walked into the house, 
and shouted for help.

With the help of neighbours and locals, Venkatesh was caught and handed over to 
the Balajinagar police.

According to reports, the court, while hearing the case on Thursday, said 
crimes committed by Venkateswarlu fell in the category of 'rarest of rare 
cases' and awarded him death penalty.

(source: thenewsminute.com)

******************

HC to hear plea of death row convict in techie murder case



The Bombay High Court is expected to begin the final hearing into an appeal 
filed by the convict in the Esther Anuhya rape and murder case.

Chandrabhan Sanap, who was convicted for raping and murdering the 23-year-old 
techie, had challenged the death penalty awarded to him by a special court on 
October 30, 2015.

A Division Bench headed by Justice N.H, Patil has posted the appeal for hearing 
on August 28. The court will start hearing the matter on a daily basis.

The trial court had observed that the case fell under the 'rarest of rare' 
category. The State government has also filed a petition seeking confirmation 
of the death sentence. The petition will be heard along with Sanap's appeal.

According to the prosecution, Anuhya, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, had 
returned to the city on January 5, 2014, after visiting her family in 
Machilipatnam. After arriving at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Kurla she met Sanap 
who offered to drop her at her hostel in Andheri for Rs. 300.

Sanap then raped and murdered her. He tried to get rid of the body by hiding it 
in the bushes along the Eastern Express Highway in Bhandup.

After a search, Anuhya's family found her body on January 16, 2014. Sanap was 
arrested in March that year and charged with murder, rape, kidnapping and other 
charges.

(source: Press Trust of India)