Supreme Court Says Death Sentences Can Be Challenged under Article 32 If Safeguards Ignored
The Supreme Court has ruled that even a death sentence confirmed by it can be challenged through an Article 32 petition if mandatory guidelines on sentencing are not followed.
The case concerned Vasanta Sampat Dupare, who was convicted for the rape and murder of a 4-year-old girl. In 2017, the top court had upheld his death penalty. However, on Monday, a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol, and Sandeep Mehta set aside that order and directed a fresh hearing to reconsider the punishment.
The Court held that in capital punishment cases, sentencing must be done in line with the principles laid down in Manoj v. State of MP (2022), which requires a detailed analysis of mitigating circumstances before awarding the death penalty.
The judges clarified that Article 32 petitions can be used in rare and exceptional cases where such safeguards are ignored. At the same time, the Court cautioned that this provision should not be misused to reopen cases routinely.
The matter will now be placed before the Chief Justice of India for assignment to an appropriate Bench for a fresh hearing on the sentence.
