{
  "id": 6178558,
  "title": "Bombay HC Sets Aside Death Sentence Of Man Convicted In 2016 Physiotherapist Rape-Murder Case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/bombay-hc-sets-aside-death-sentence-of-man-convicted-in-2016",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-07T21:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/bombay-hc-sets-aside-death-sentence-of-man-convicted-in-2016-physiotherapist-rape-murder-case"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 7, 2026, the Bombay High Court overturned and dismissed the death sentence given to Debashish Dhara, a man convicted of raping and murdering a 24-year-old physiotherapist in 2016. The High Court ordered Dhara's immediate release. A bench led by Justice Bharati Dangre was reviewing a confirmation case presented by the Maharashtra government. According to the law, a death sentence from a trial court can only be carried out after it's confirmed by the High Court. Conviction Dhara, originally from West Bengal, received a death sentence in October 2019 for the crimes of murder, rape, unnatural sexual offenses, and trespassing. The court considered the crime to be one of the \"rarest of rare\" cases. Prosecutors argued that Dhara, nicknamed a \"peeping Tom,\" entered the victim's room while she was asleep on the night of December 5-6, 2016. They said he raped her, performed unnatural acts using a roller comb, and then killed her. The incident was discovered around 3:30 am when neighbors noticed smoke coming from the mezzanine-floor room. Her father and a neighbor broke down the door and found her dead, with jeans tied around her neck, books placed on her body, and set on fire. Court's Opinion The sessions court sentenced Dhara to death, describing the victim as an \"innocent helpless young woman\" and the crime as \"total depravity\" and \"hair-raising beastly and unparalleled behavior.\" They also noted the brutality of the victim's injuries and the shock it caused to the community. Arrest Dhara was apprehended in Medinipur district, West Bengal, on January 28, 2017, about two months after the crime.",
  "summary": "Mumbai, September 7, 2026: The Bombay High Court on Monday quashed and set aside the death sentence awarded by a sessions court to Debashish Dhara, who was convicted of raping and murdering a 24-year-old physiotherapist at her home in 2016. The High Court directed that Dhara be set free. A bench headed by Justice Bharati Dangre was hearing a confirmation case filed by the Maharashtra government.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}