Madhya Pradesh, September 18: Supreme Court has stayed the execution of death sentence of a convict in rape and murder of a four-year-old, according to an ANI report. Madhya Pradesh High Court's Jabalpur bench in its judgement had sentenced the convict to death. Madhya Pradesh: Convicts Sentenced to Death in 12 Rape Cases This Year.

Earlier last month, Madhya Pradesh High Court had upheld a lower Court's order awarding death sentence to a man for raping and killing a four-year-old girl, observing that “humanity is more in danger in the hands of persons like the convict”. According to the PTI report, the offence was described as an act of extreme depravity, and this was done taking note of the fact the rising crimes against minor girls. The Court further highlighted that such punishment could deter other criminals.

A division bench of Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla as quoted in the report said, "The extreme judgment conveys a message to these predators that it is not a soft state where criminals committing such serious crimes may get a reprieve in the guise of humanity."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2018 12:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).