SC: Death Sentence to Life if Mercy Plea Delayed
- Case Name: State of Maharashtra and Ors. v. Pradeep Yashwant Kokade and Anr
- Judge(s): Justice Abhay Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Augustine
- Advocate(s): Mr. Shreyash Lalit & Dr. Yug Mohit Chaudhary
The Supreme Court looked at a Pune BPO murder case where a man was sentenced to death for a gang rape and murder in 2007. The delay in their mercy petition caused by the Governor’s eight-month response led to a challenge in the Supreme Court.
The judges argued that such long delays violate the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution, causing unnecessary mental suffering for the convict.
The Court decided that if there is an excessive delay in executing a death sentence, it should be changed to life imprisonment and laid down guidelines. This sets a precedent for similar cases in the future.
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