The Karnataka High Court has sentenced Abdul Sharief (63), a retired driver of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), to life imprisonment for setting fire to a doctor's residence in Mysuru in April 2013, an act that resulted in the deaths of six family members. A Division Bench comprising Justice H.P. Sandesh and Justice B. Pramod passed the verdict after reversing a 2018 trial court order that had acquitted the accused. The prosecution established that Sharief harboured resentment against the doctor regarding money owed for medical treatment and his refusal to cooperate in a personal matter. On April 12, 2013, at approximately 3:00 AM, Sharief poured petrol through a window while eight occupants were asleep inside and ignited the blaze. In its judgment, the High Court observed that the trial court had misread material evidence, magnified minor discrepancies, and ignored crucial forensic findings. While describing the act as a brutal crime, the Bench declined to impose the death penalty, considering the convict's age and the fact that 13 years had elapsed since the incident. The ruling underscores the high court's commitment to correcting judicial missteps in grave criminal cases.
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