New Delhi: A Delhi Court will pronounce at 16:30 hours today ( the quantum of sentence against JMM Chief Shibu Soren convicted for murdering his private secretary Shashi Nath Jha after CBI pressed for death penalty against him.

Seeking maximum punishment against Soren for the offence of murder, the CBI contended that the case falls in the rarest of rare category as the crime was committed in the most gruesome manner. However, JMM chief's advocate R K Anand said Soren did not deserve death penalty as the case did not fall in that category and argued for lesser punishment maintaining that the 65-year-old leader played a key role in the creation of tribal state of Jharkhand.

He said Soren did not have previous conviction against him and sought his release on probation saying his age, personality and his health should be considered while pronouncing the quantum of punishment.

Special CBI Prosecutor A K Singh, while seeking the capital punishment, cited certain judgements including the Parliament Attack case and said the person who did not play any direct role but still was involved in hatching a conspiracy to commit such an offence, could also be awarded the maximum sentence.

Singh also contended the manner in which Jha was kidnapped and murdered reflected the brutal nature of the offence and the mitigating circusmtances, which was proved against Soren and all the other four convicts, demanded that retributive punishment be given in the case.

He said Jha's body was found lying near a bricklin which was owned by Nand Kishore Mehta, a convict in the case and it is on record that the same was being eaten by stray dog.