Punjab & Haryana High Court Commutes Death Penalty in Child Rape Case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of raping his 7-year-old daughter to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life, fixed at 30 years without remission.

The Court acknowledged the heinous and repugnant nature of the crime but ruled that it did not meet the “rarest of rare” threshold necessary for capital punishment.

Emphasizing safeguards, the bench held that even the most severe crimes require individualized sentencing.

The Court underscored the importance of balancing reformation and deterrence, deciding that 30 years' imprisonment was an appropriate alternative to the death penalty.