Convict mother of three sought suspension of life sentence imposed for drowning her children, pending appeal. The High Court found the last-seen evidence, her Section 313 statement admitting the children were last with her, and her confession to the VAO prima facie sufficient, and declined bail.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
CRL MP No. 4917 of 2026
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 22-07-2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE DR.JUSTICE ANITA SUMANTH
AND
THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SUNDER MOHAN
CRL MP No. 4917 of 2026 in CRL A NO. 289 OF 2026
M.Sathiyavathi Wife of Manikandan, Vadakku Theru, V Sathapadi Post, Virudhachalam Taluk, Cuddalore District, Now confined at Special Prison for Women, Vellore, PID.No.465129.
..Petitioner(s)
Vs
The State, The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sethiyathope Police Station, Cuddalore District. Crime No.217 of 2019
..Respondent(s)
Petition filed under Section 430(1) read with 483 of BNSS, 2023 to suspend the sentence imposed by Judgment in Sessions Case No.58 of 2021 dated 27.06.2025 on the file of Sessions Judge Magalir Neethi Mandram at Cuddalore and to enlarge the petitioner on bail pending disposal of the above said Criminal Appeal Case and pass further or other order that this Honble
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CRL MP No. 4917 of 2026
Court may deem fit and proper in the Circumstances of the case and thus render Justice.
For Petitioner(s): Mr.P.Kannan For Respondent(s): Mr.A.Amarnath, Counsel For Government Of Tamil Nadu (Criminal Side)
ORDER
(Order of the Court was made by Dr.Anita Sumanth J.)
This is a petition seeking suspension of sentence under judgment dated 27.06.2025 passed by the Sessions Judge, Magalir Neethi Mandram, Cuddalore
and interim bail for the petitioner pending Criminal Appeal. The trial Court, vide its judgment dated 27.06.2025 has found the accused/petitioner guilty on three counts of Section 302 IPC and has sentenced her to imprisonment for life.
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impugned judgment on the grounds that there was no motive for the petitioner to have committed the offence, the confession recorded by the VAO was inadmissible, the last seen theory had not been established by the Prosecution and that there are variations in the testimonies recorded. Moreover, being a case of circumstantial evidence, it was for the Prosecution to have established the case beyond all doubt.
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CRL MP No. 4917 of 2026
08.11.2022 and 23.11.2022, and 21.05.2025 till date, in all, for a period of about one and a half years.
On 24.09.2019, the petitioner had left her matrimonial home to go to her
parents’ house along with her three children. On 02.10.2019, she leaves her parents’ house with the three children to return to her husband’s home. She was seen by P.W.12 who deposes that, around 1.30 p.m. she saw the petitioner along with her three children, in the vicinity of the nearby canal and interacted with her. P.W.12 again sees the petitioner around 8.30 p.m., this time without the children. When asked about the children, the petitioner is stated to have responded that she had left them with their father. P.W.12 has thus seen the three children last with the petitioner on the date of incident.
gpujk tprhuiz ? /////////////M$h; vjphpia bjhpa[k;/ ghh;j;Js;nsd;/ vd ; fztu ; tpUj;jhryk;. Rpjk;guk; bkapd;nuhl;oy ; g";ru ; fil itj;Js;shhu;/ ehDk; filapy;jhd ; mtUld ; vy;yh ntiyfSk ; bra;ntd;/ Rkhu; 4.5 tUlj;jpw;F Kd;g[ kjpak; 1/30 kzp mstpy; vd; fztu; filapy; rhg;ghL bfhLf;f brd;wpUe;njd; M$u ; vjpup 3 FHe;ijfSld ; me;j tHpahf te;jhu;/ .................mg;nghJ M$u; vjpup Rkhu; 10 epkplkhf ,';Fk';Fkhf miye;Jbfhz;oUe;jhu;/ mg;nghJ Rkhu; 8/30 kzp ,Uf;Fk;/ Vw;fdnt mtu;fis ghu;j;jjhy; mtu;fSld; te;j gps;isfis v';nf vd;W tprhupj;njd;/ vjpup mtu; mg;gh te;J FHe;ijfis miHj;J brd;whu; vd;W brhd;dhu;/ .....................
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CRL MP No. 4917 of 2026
that there were contradictions in the testimony of P.W.12, prima facie, we do not see any such contradiction. In any event, the fact that the three children
were with the petitioner last, before their demise is established from the statement recorded by the Court under Section 313 Cr.P.C. In reply to question No.27, the petitioner herself agrees that she was last with the children and it was on her watch that the children slipped, fell and were drowned. The relevant question and answer are extracted below:
27/ nfs;tp : ePu; ,t;tHf;F gw;wp VnjDk; Twpf;bfhs;s ntz;Lkh>
gjpy; : ehd ; uh$d ; tha;f;fhypd ; mUnf brd;Wbfhz;oUe;jnghJ vd ; K:d;W FHe;ijfSk ; m';F tpisahobfhz;oUe;jnghJ jtwp tpGe;Jtpl;lhh;fs;/ ehd; fhg;ghw;w brd;wnghJ ehDk ; tpGe;J kaf;fkhfptpl;nld;/ me;j ghyk; KGtJk; fl;lg;glhj epiyapy; ,Ue;jJ/
attempt to exculpate herself from the offence, which seems highly improbable in view of the other evidence.
piece of evidence, it may have some weightage in determining the totality of circumstances. In that confession, the petitioner states that she had committed the offences as she did not have any interest in living with her husband and wished to be independent.
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CRL MP No. 4917 of 2026
suspension of sentence at this juncture and hence dismiss this petition.
(A.S.M, J.) (S.M, J.) 22-07-2026
Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes/No
sl
To
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CRL MP No. 4917 of 2026
DR.ANITA SUMANTH, J. AND SUNDER MOHAN, J.
sl
CRL MP No. 4917 of 2026 in CRL A NO. 289 OF 2026
22-07-2026
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1 issue framed by the court
Whether the sentence of life imprisonment for three counts of murder should be suspended and the petitioner released on bail pending criminal appeal.
3 provisions across 3 enactments
M.Sathiyavathi
The State, represented by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sethiyathope Police Station, Cuddalore District
Anita Sumanth
Sunder Mohan
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
