Murder case: SC expresses displeasure with Rajasthan High Court’s comments, says – completely unfair

Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court on Friday termed some of the observations made by the Rajasthan High Court as grossly inappropriate and against judicial discipline in a case judgment. The apex court had earlier convicted one accused in the murder case.

A bench of Justices MR Shah and SR Bhat observed that since the Supreme Court had already confirmed the conviction after hearing counsel for the accused, the High Court had no jurisdiction to examine the matter or comment on the merits. No alternative was available. The bench noted that the Supreme Court had earlier stayed the order commuting death sentence to life imprisonment and remanded the matter to the High Court to consider the question of sentence in a murder case.

It further said that the High Court not only commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment, but also made some observations in its judgment including investigation. The Supreme Court said, ‘Judicial discipline requires that once the conviction has been confirmed by this Court, the High Court should not have commented on the merits of the case, particularly, when the matter was referred to the High Court only. Sentences are intended to be considered.

The top court gave the order on an appeal filed by the state against the High Court’s May 2022 verdict, which commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment. Regarding the High Court’s decision to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment, the bench said it saw no reason to interfere with it.

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