CASE NAME: Aman Singh & Anr. V. State of Bihar (2026 INSC 424)
CASE NUMBER: 24574 of 2026
COURT: Supreme Court of India
DATE: 27th April 29, 2026
QUORUM: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vikram Nath, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sandeep Mehta and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vijay Bishnoi
FACTS
In the present case, the appellants Aman Singh and Sonal Singh, were convicted and sentenced to death by the Trial Court, that was later on dealt with by the High Court of Patna in Death Reference No. 2/2024 and Criminal Appeal (DB) No. 691 of 2024 on January 22, 2026. In furtherance of this a Special Leave Petition (SLP) was filed by the appellants before the Supreme Court challenging the said death sentence. Currently, the appellants are lodged in Buxar Jail, Bihar.
ISSUES
- Whether the current system of collecting information regarding mitigating and aggravating circumstances in cases of death penalty is timely and effective?
- Whether there is an effective evaluation of an accused’s potential for reformation as a foundational goal of punishment?
- Whether the prevailing trend of “lackadaisical” legal defence and ineffective representation in cases involving death sentences fails to present the complete perspective for sentencing?
LEGAL PROVISIONS
- Article 136 of the Indian Constitution – Granting of Leave to Petition (Special Leave Petition ‘SLP’)
- Death Reference Procedures – The process of Judicial Review required for confirmation of a death sentence.
- Manoj and Ors v. State of Madhya Pradesh (2023) 2 SCC 353 – A guiding case where the court reaffirmed that reformation is a foundational goal of criminal jurisprudence.
ARGUMENTS
APPELLANT:
In the present interim order, the appeal seeks to overturn or commute the given death sentence, the appellants successfully moved to the court to stay the execution and requested the summoning of the original trial and High Court records.
RESPONDENT:
The State of Bihar represented by the prosecution is directed by the court to facilitate the collection of probation reports, jail conduct reports and psychological evaluations of the appellants.
ANALYSIS
The court observed a troubling trend where the investigative reports regarding mitigating circumstances in cases of death penalty are often sought at the appeal stage before the Supreme Court, causing significant delays and an unbalanced sentencing process. The Bench analysed that the absence of a structured framework and inadequate legal representation for the defence often leads to a purely retributive system driven by brutality of crime rather than individual assessment.
JUDGEMENT
The SC stayed the execution and issued several mandatory directions to reform death penalty adjudications:
- Trial courts are now required to order Aggravating and Mitigating Reports once the accused gets convicted that is prior to the determination of sentence.
- In the event such a report has not been called for or placed on record before the trial Court, the High Court shall mandatorily call for the same at the stage of admission of the death reference
- The concerned authorities shall ensure that the above-mentioned reports are comprehensive, duly verified with duly mentioned timeframe to avoid any delay.
- In every death sentence confirmation reference brought before the High Court the Legal Services Committee shall give a dedicated legal team consisting of a senior counsel and at least two advocates having minimum 7 years of experience to the convicted person.
- The National Legal Service Authority has been directed to create guidelines for gathering the convict’s socio-economic conditions, mental health and background.
CONCLUSION
The Supreme Court utilized this case to institutionalize meaningful, informed, and constitutionally compliant sentencing. By setting up mandatory guidelines for early reporting of mitigation factors and ensuring high level legal representation, regardless of private counsel. The court aims to bridge the gap between retributive justice and the reformative goals. This matter is listed for further hearing after 20 weeks.
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WRITTEN BY: LISHIKA BATRA
Read the judgement copy here:
Aman Singh and another v. State of Bihar
