After the death sentence, the mercy petition of both the sisters was pending with the state government for nearly eight years. Taking this as the basis, the court has converted the death sentence to life imprisonment.

Renuka Shinde and Seema Gavit have been convicted for kidnapping 13 children and killing 9 of them in and around Kolhapur district between 1990 and 1996. Anjanbai, the mother of both, was also involved in the kidnapping and murder of the children. However, the mother died in 1997 before the trial could even begin.

Renuka Shinde and Seema Gavit, both sisters along with their mother used to make innocent children commit crimes by kidnapping them and brutally murdering them when the purpose was served. By the time they were caught, the three women had carried out the kidnapping of 13 children and the murder of 10 children. Mother Anjanibai Gavit died a year after her capture, while both the sisters were sentenced to death by the court in 2001.

In 2001, the Kolhapur trial court sentenced both sisters to death, and in 2004 the high court upheld the trial court’s decision. After this, in the year 2006, the matter also reached the Supreme Court where the appeal was rejected by the court. After this, a mercy petition was filed with the President, which was rejected in 2014.

About 8 years after the mercy petition was rejected by the President, both the sisters once again approached the High Court. The two sisters termed the eight years as unfair and argued that during this time they had to undergo extreme mental torture.

In its order on Tuesday, the High Court said, “After considering the facts and circumstances in which there has been a delay of seven years, ten months and 15 days in the disposal of mercy petitions, we find that it is entirely necessary for the authorities, governments, Especially the state government is responsible. The High Court had reserved the order on 22 December after hearing the petition of both the sisters.”