INTRODUCTION
In a milestone judgment, the Supreme Court of India set aside the conviction and death penalty of Sovaran Singh Prajapati on the basis of a violation of the fundamental right to a fair trial under Article 21 of the Constitution. The judgment shows the importance of effective legal counsel and procedural justice in capital trials.
BACKGROUND
Sovaran Singh Prajapati was found guilty of killing his wife and 12-year-old daughter and sentenced to death by the Trial Court, which was later confirmed by the Allahabad High Court. He approached the Supreme Court alleging that he was deprived of a fair trial which by the interpretation of the A21 is granted which is now having various procedural failures, including inadequate legal representation.
KEY POINTS
1. Denial of a Fair Trial: The right of the appellant to a fair trial was denied as a result of ineffective representation by counsel, which violated Article 21 of the Constitution.
- Frequent Change of Counsel: There was frequent change of counsel on the defense side, and thus inconsistent defence counsel. The last counsel to be appointed did not have sufficient time to prepare, and thus the quality of defence was undermined.
- Other Cases: The court used different case of laws of all time to use it as a precedent where the matter was related to death penalty. As the matter is related to the stake of the life which is protected under the Grundnorm.
RECENT DEVELOPMENT
The Court allowed the appeal and seeding aside both the conviction and the death sentence. This case was remanded to the Trial Court for a fresh trial, beginning from the stage of farming charges, ensuring due to process and procedural safeguard.
CONCLUSION
This judgment reinforces the judiciary’s dedication to protecting fair trial values in death penalty cases. It focused the need for professional legal representation and protective measures to guarantee that justice prevails without sacrificing the constitutional rights of the accused. The case is a precedent for rigid adherence to due process in criminal proceedings, especially in death penalty cases
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WRITTEN BY: SHIVRANJNI
