Delhi court spares youth death penalty for killing teacher at 18, cites ‘adolescent brain’

A Delhi court has decided not to impose the death penalty on a 28-year-old man convicted of killing his school teacher when he was 18 years and seven months old. The court, led by Additional Sessions Judge Priya Mahendra, acknowledged the gravity of the murder, calling it "abominable and despicable" and noting the teacher-student relationship's sanctity in Indian culture.

However, the court held that it would be unjust to attribute the full mental faculties of an adult to a minor and therefore denied the death penalty. The judge took into account both aggravating and mitigating factors, including the convict's age, his conduct in custody, and his involvement in another murder case while on interim bail.

The court sentenced the man to life imprisonment for murder and a fine of Rs 50,000, along with additional penalties for obstructing and using criminal force against a public servant.