1

REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

REVIEW PETITION (CRIMINAL) NO. 388 OF 2015

IN

SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CRIMINAL) NO. 458 OF 2015

BABASAHEB MARUTI KAMBLE .....PETITIONER(S)

VERSUS

STATE OF MAHARASHTRA .....RESPONDENT(S)

J U D G M E N T

A.K. SIKRI, J.

This Review Petition is filed by the petitioner who has been

convicted for offences under Sections 302, 376(2)(f) and 342 of the

Indian Penal Code (for short, 'IPC'). He was awarded death penalty for

the offence punishable under Section 302, IPC by the trial court vide its

judgment dated September 27, 2013 in Sessions Case No. 87 of 2012.

For offence under Section 376(2)(f) of IPC, the petitioner was sentenced

to life imprisonment and for the offence under Section 342 of IPC, the

trial court awarded simple imprisonment for two months.

2.Since sentence of death was imposed on the petitioner, the Sessions

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Judge made a Reference to the High Court for confirmation of death

sentence. The petitioner also challenged his conviction and sentences

imposed by filing Criminal Appeal No. 80 of 2014 before the High Court.

The said appeal as well as Reference were heard together by the High

Court. The High Court upheld the conviction under the aforesaid

provisions and also confirmed death sentence of the petitioner vide its

judgment dated July 09/10, 2014. Against that judgment, the review

petitioner preferred Special Leave Petition (Criminal) No. 458 of 2015.

The special leave petition came up for preliminary hearing on January

06, 2015 which was dismissed by passing the following order:

"Delay condoned.

Dismissed."

3.Present review petition is filed seeking review of the aforesaid order of

dismissal in limine.

4.Mr. Shekhar Naphade, learned senior counsel appearing for the

petitioner submits that in a case where conviction is followed by death

sentence, and the special leave petition is filed thereagainst, such

petition should not be dismissed in limine and in case the Supreme

Court still finds it fit to do so, some reasons need to be recorded.

5.Learned senior counsel has referred to the provisions of Article 137 of

the Constitution which provide for review of judgments or orders by the

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Supreme Court and reads as under:

"137. Review of judgments or orders by the Supreme Court.—

Subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament or any

rules made under Article 145, the Supreme Court shall have

power to review any judgment pronounced or order made by it."

6.He submits that the scope of review in criminal cases is broader than in

civil cases and unless some reasons are recorded while dismissing the

special leave petition, the remedy of review would become illusive. He

also referred to the judgment of this Court in Mohammed Ajmal

Mohammad Amir Kasab alias Abu Mujahid vs. State of Maharashtra

1

where the Court succinctly stated the approach that is needed in dealing

with the cases of death sentence, with the following observations:

"5. We may also state here that since it is a case of death

sentence, we intend to examine the materials on record first hand,

in accordance with the time-honoured practice of this Court, and

come to our own conclusions on all issues of facts and law,

unbound by the findings of the trial court and the High Court."

7.Mr. Naphade also referred to the provisions of Order XXII Rule 7 of the

Supreme Court Rules which provide for summoning of the trial court

record for deciding the appeals and reads as under:

"7. (1) If the petitioner is in jail and is not represented by an

advocate-on-record, he may present his petition for special leave

to appeal together with the certified copy of the Judgment and

any written argument which he may desire to advance to the

officer in charge of the jail, who shall forthwith forward the same

1 (2012) 9 SCC 1

4

to the Registrar of this Court. Upon receipt of the said petition, the

Registrar of the Court shall, whenever necessary call, from the

proper officer of the Court or the Tribunal appealed from, the

relevant documents for determination of the petition for special

leave to appeal.

(2) As soon as all necessary documents are available the

Registrar shall direct engagement of an Advocate from the panel

of Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, or assign a Panel

Advocate at the cost of the state and thereafter place the petition

and complete documents for hearing before the Court. The fee of

the advocate so engaged shall be such, as may, from time to

time, be fixed by the Chief Justice.

(3) After the hearing of the petition or the appeal, as the case may

be, is over, the Registrar, the Additional Registrar or the Deputy

Registrar shall issue to the Advocate, engaged at the cost of the

State, a certificate in the prescribed form indicating therein the

name of the said Advocate engaged at the cost of the State

concerned and the amount of fees payable to the said advocate.

(4) The State concerned shall pay the fees specified in the

certificate issued under sub-rule (3) to the Advocate named

therein within three months from the date of his presenting before

it his claim for the fees supported by the certificate. If the fees are

not paid within the period abovesaid, the Advocate shall be

entitled to recover the same from the State concerned by

enforcement of the certificate as an order as to costs under the

Supreme Court (Decrees and Orders) Enforcement Order, 1954.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this rule, the term “State” shall

include a Union Territory."

8.His argument was that though normally such record is summoned only

after the special leave petition is granted, but in those cases where

death sentence is imposed, the court should summon the record when it

is making the final order even at the stage of special leave petition,

keeping in view the spirit of the principles laid down in paragraph 5 of

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the Kasab's case.

9.We have given our thoughtful consideration to the aforesaid

submissions of the learned senior counsel for the petitioner. We find

considerable force in, at least, some of the submissions made by Mr.

Naphade.

10.In cases where an accused is convicted for offence under Section 302,

IPC, minimum sentence that is to be awarded is the life imprisonment.

However, in rarest of rare cases, the Sessions Court may award death

sentence as well. As per the provisions of Section 235 of the Code of

Criminal Procedure, it is mandatory for the sessions court to give a

proper hearing to the accused on the question of sentence as well. The

necessity and importance of such a hearing is explained in Rajesh

Kumar vs. State Through Government of NCT of Delhi

2

wherein after

referring to various earlier judgments, this Court summed up in the

following manner:

"44. In Santa Singh [(1976) 4 SCC 190 : 1976 SCC (Cri) 546] this

Court noted that in most countries of the world problem of

sentencing the criminal offender is receiving increasing attention

and it is so in view of rapidly changing attitude towards crime and

criminal. In many countries, intensive study of sociology of the

crime has shifted the focus from the crime to the criminal, leading

to a widening of the objectives of sentencing and simultaneously

of the range of the sentencing procedures.

2 (2011) 13 SCC 706

6

45. Bhagwati, J. (as His Lordship then was) giving the judgment

in Santa Singh[(1976) 4 SCC 190 : 1976 SCC (Cri) 546] pointed

out and which was later on accepted in Bachan Singh v. State of

Punjab [(1980) 2 SCC 684 : 1980 SCC (Cri) 580] that proper

exercise of sentencing discretion calls for consideration of various

factors like the nature of offence, the circumstances—both

extenuating or aggravating, the prior criminal record, if any, of the

offender, the age of the offender, his background, his education,

his personal life, his social adjustment, the emotional and mental

condition of the offender, the prospects for the rehabilitation of the

offender, the possibility of his rehabilitation in the life of community,

the possibility of treatment or training of the offender, the

possibility that the sentence may serve as a deterrent to crime by

the offender or by others. After referring to all the aforesaid facts,

the learned Judge opined as under: (Santa Singh case [(1976) 4

SCC 190 : 1976 SCC (Cri) 546] , SCC p. 195, para 3)

“3. … These are factors which have to be taken into account

by the court in deciding upon the appropriate sentence, and,

therefore, the legislature felt that, for this purpose, a separate

stage should be provided after conviction when the court can

hear the accused in regard to these factors bearing on

sentence and then pass proper sentence on the accused.

Hence the new provision in Section 235(2).”

46. After analysing the aforesaid aspects, the learned Judge

in Santa Singh case[(1976) 4 SCC 190 : 1976 SCC (Cri) 546]

posed the question: What is the meaning and content of

expression “hear the accused”? By referring to various aspects

and also the opinion expressed by the Law Commission in its

Forty-eighth Report, Bhagwati, J. (as His Lordship then was)

opined that the hearing contemplated under Section 235(2) is not

confined merely to oral submissions but it is also intended to give

an opportunity to the prosecution and the accused to place before

the court facts and material relating to various factors bearing on

the question of sentence. However, there was a note of caution

that in the name of such hearing, the court proceedings should

not be unduly protracted.

47. This Court held in Santa Singh [(1976) 4 SCC 190 : 1976 SCC

(Cri) 546] that non-compliance with such hearing is not a mere

irregularity curable under Section 465 of the 1973 Code. This

Court speaking through Bhagwati, J. (as His Lordship then was)

emphasised that this legal provision under our constitutional

values has acquired a new dimension and must reflect “new

trends in penology and sentencing procedures” so that penal laws

can be used as a tool for reforming and rehabilitating the criminals

and smoothening out the uneven texture of the social fabric and

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not merely as a weapon for protecting the hegemony of one class

over the other (see p. 197, para 6 of the Report).

48. In Muniappan v. State of T.N. [(1981) 3 SCC 11 : 1981 SCC

(Cri) 617] Chandrachud, C.J. delivering the judgment again had to

consider the importance of Section 235(2) and Section 354(3)

CrPC in our sentencing procedure. The learned Chief Justice held

that the obligation to hear the accused on the question of

sentence under Section 235(2) of the 1973 Code is not

discharged by putting a formal question to the accused as to what

he has to say on the question of sentence. The learned Chief

Justice made it clear that the Judge must make a genuine effort to

elicit from the accused all items of information which will

eventually bear on the question of sentence. All such items of

information that would furnish a clue to the genesis of the crime

and the motivation of the criminal are relevant and the learned

Chief Justice emphasised that in such an exercise,

“it is the bounden duty of the Judge to cast aside the

formalities of the court scene and approach the question

of sentence from a broad, sociological point of view”.

49. The learned Chief Justice further said that in the sentencing

procedure it is not only the accused but the entire society is at

stake and therefore the questions the Judge puts and the answers

the accused gives may be beyond the narrow constraints of the

Evidence Act. In the words of the learned Chief Justice the

position of the Court in an exercise under Section 235(2) is as

follows: (Muniappan case [(1981) 3 SCC 11 : 1981 SCC (Cri)

617] , SCC pp. 13-14, para 2)

“2. … The court, while on the question of sentence, is in

an altogether different domain in which facts and factors

which operate are of an entirely different order than those

which come into play on the question of conviction.”

50. To the same effect is the judgment of Ahmadi, J. (as His

Lordship then was) in Allauddin Mian v. State of Bihar [(1989) 3

SCC 5 : 1989 SCC (Cri) 490] . Explaining the purpose of Section

235(2), this Court in Allauddin Mian [(1989) 3 SCC 5 : 1989 SCC

(Cri) 490] held that Section 235(2) satisfies a dual purpose; first of

all it satisfies rules of natural justice by according to the accused

an opportunity of being heard on the question of sentence. Under

such sentencing procedure the accused is given an opportunity to

place before the court all relevant materials having a bearing on

the question of sentence. The Court opined that it is a salutary

principle and must be strictly observed and is not a matter of mere

formality. This Court further held that in such hearing exercise the

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accused should be given a real and effective opportunity to place

his antecedents, social and economic background, etc. before the

court, for the court to take a fair decision on sentence as otherwise

the sentence would be vulnerable.

51. The Court therefore opined: (Allauddin Mian case [(1989) 3

SCC 5 : 1989 SCC (Cri) 490] , SCC p. 21, para 10)

“10. … We think as a general rule the trial courts should after

recording the conviction adjourn the matter to a future date

and call upon both the prosecution as well as the defence to

place the relevant material bearing on the question of

sentence before it and thereafter pronounce the sentence to

be imposed on the offender.”

52. Therefore, it is clear from the purpose of Section 235(2) as

explained in the aforesaid cases, that the object of hearing under

Section 235(2) being intrinsically and inherently connected with the

sentencing procedure, the provision of Section 354(3) which calls

for recording of special reason for awarding death sentence must

be read conjointly with Section 235(2) of the 1973 Code. This

Court is of the opinion that special reasons can only be validly

recorded if an effective opportunity of hearing as contemplated

under Section 235(2) CrPC is genuinely extended and is allowed to

be exercised by the accused who stands convicted and is awaiting

the sentence. These two provisions do not stand in isolation but

must be construed as supplementing each other as ensuring the

constitutional guarantee of a just, fair and reasonable procedure in

the exercise of sentencing discretion by the court.

53. These changes in the sentencing structure reflect the “evolving

standards of decency” that mark the progress of a maturing

democracy and which is in accord with the concept of dignity of the

individual—one of the core values in our Preamble to the

Constitution. In a way these changes signify a paradigm shift in our

jurisprudence with the gradual transition of our legal regime from

“the rule of law” to the “due process of law”, to which this Court

would advert to in the latter part of the judgment."

11.When it comes to providing hearing in cases where the judicial mind is

to be applied in choosing the sentence between life imprisonment and

death, this requirement assumes greater importance. It has been held

9

in Bachan Singh’s case that since death sentence can be awarded only

in the 'rarest of rare cases', the Court is supposed to give 'special

reasons' when it choses to award death sentence. The reasoning

process has to undertake the exercise of considering mitigating as well

as aggravating circumstances and after weighing those circumstances

with objective assessment, a decision has to be taken in this behalf.

Such an exercise inherently calls for recording of reasons for awarding

death sentence. The legislature has added another dimension in order

to obviate any possibility of error, by making a specific provision to the

effect that in those cases where the Session Judge inflicts death penalty,

it has to be affirmed and approved by the High Court.

12.Keeping in view all the aforesaid factors, particularly, when death

sentence is rare, this Court has emphasised time and again that in such

cases there has to be an independent examination by this Court also,

'unbound by the findings of the trial court and the High Court'. Such

approach is the 'time-honoured practice of this Court', as observed in

Kasab's case.

13.Again, while undertaking the exercise as to whether the death penalty is

to be given imprimatur by this Court, even after the approval thereof by

the High Court, case law of this Court amply demonstrates that proper

exercise of sentence discretion calls for consideration of various factors

like the nature of offence, circumstances—both extenuating or

10

aggravating, the prior criminal record, if any, of the offender, the age of

the offender, his background, his education, his personal life, his social

adjustment, the emotional and mental condition of the offender, the

prospects for the rehabilitation of the offender, the possibility of his

rehabilitation in the life of community, the possibility of treatment or

training of the offender, the possibility that the sentence may serve as a

deterrent to crime by the offender or by others.

14.The accepted practice of this Court to afford hearing in the cases where

death penalty is challenged, has also been acknowledged in Dayanidhi

Bisoi vs. State of Orissa

3

and re-enforced by the Constitution Bench

judgment in Mohd. Arif Alias Ashfaq vs. Registrar, Supreme Court of

India and Others

4

. In Mohd. Arif case, this Court made departure from

the rule of hearing the review petitions in chambers by making an

exception to this rule and held that when review petition is filed seeking

review of the order of this Court affirming death penalty, such a review

petition should be heard in the open court and by a Bench of

three-Judges. Relevant portion of the said judgment is reproduced

below:

"34. We feel that this oral hearing, in death sentence cases,

becomes too precious to be parted with. We also quote the

following observations from that judgment: (P.N. Eswara Iyer

case [P.N. Eswara Iyer v. Registrar, Supreme Court of India, (1980)

4 SCC 680] , SCC p. 692, para 29-A)

3 (2003) 9 SCC 310

4 (2014) 9 SCC 737

11

“29-A. The possible impression that we are debunking the

value of oral advocacy in open court must be erased.

Experience has shown that, at all levels, the bar, through the

spoken word and the written brief, has aided the process of

judicial justice. Justicing is an art even as advocacy is an art.

Happy interaction between the two makes for the functional

fulfillment of the court system. No judicial ‘emergency’ can

jettison the vital breath of spoken advocacy in an open forum.

Indeed, there is no judicial cry for extinguishment of oral

argument altogether.”

35. No doubt, the Court thereafter reminded us that the time has

come for proper evaluation of oral argument at the review stage.

However, when it comes to death penalty cases, we feel that the

power of the spoken word has to be given yet another opportunity

even if the ultimate success rate is minimal."

15.A cumulative effect of all the aforesaid circumstances does suggest that

special leave petition filed in those cases where death sentence is

awarded by the courts below, should not be dismissed without giving

reasons, at least qua death sentence. There may be cases where at the

Special Leave Petition stage itself, the Court may find that insofar as

conviction is concerned there is no scope for interference at all as such

a conviction for offence under Section 302 is recorded on the basis of

evidence which is impeccable, trustworthy, credible and proves the guilt

of the accused beyond any shadow of doubt. At the same time, if death

penalty is to be affirmed even while dismissing the Special Leave

Petition in limine, it should be by a reasoned order on the aspect of

sentence, at least.

16.In the instant case, since the special leave petition filed by the review

petitioner was dismissed in limine with one word and without giving any

12

reasons, we allow this review petition and recall the order dated January

06, 2015. As a consequence, SLP(Criminal) No. 458 of 2015 is restored

to its original number.

.............................................J.

(A.K. SIKRI)

.............................................J.

(ASHOK BHUSHAN)

.............................................J.

(INDIRA BANERJEE)

NEW DELHI;

NOVEMBER 01, 2018.

13

NON-REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1440 OF 2018

[ARISING OUT OF SLP (CRL.) NO. 458 OF 2015]

BABASAHEB MARUTI KAMBLE .....APPELLANT(S)

VERSUS

STATE OF MAHARASHTRA .....RESPONDENT(S)

J U D G M E N T

A.K. SIKRI, J.

Leave granted.

2.We have heard the counsel for the parties at length.

3. This appeal is filed by the appellant who has been convicted for offences

under Sections 302, 376(2)(f) and 342 of the Indian Penal Code (for short,

'IPC'). He was awarded death penalty for the offence punishable under

Section 302, IPC by the trial court vide its judgment dated September 27,

2013 in Sessions Case No. 87 of 2012. For offence under Section 376(2)(f) of

IPC, the appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment and for the offence

under Section 342 of IPC, the trial court awarded simple imprisonment for two

months.

14

4.Since sentence of death was imposed on the petitioner, the Sessions

Judge made a reference to the High Court for confirmation of death sentence.

The petitioner also challenged his conviction and sentences imposed by filing

Criminal Appeal No. 80 of 2014 before the High Court. The said appeal as

well as reference were heard together by the High Court. The High Court

upheld the conviction under the aforesaid provisions and also confirmed death

sentence of the petitioner vide its judgment dated July 09/10, 2014.

5.It is this judgment which is assailed in the present appeal. In the first

instance, we have heard learned counsel for the parties on the question as to

whether the conviction of the appellant has been rightly recorded by the trial

court, and affirmed by the High Court. Learned counsel for both the parties

have taken us through the material on record as well as relevant evidence

which was produced by the prosecution before the trial court. No doubt it is a

case of circumstantial evidence as there are no eye-witnesses. At the same

time, we find that the circumstances produced before the trial court weave an

unbroken chain which point accusing finger towards the appellant thereby

proving the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt. These

circumstances are recorded by the High Court as well in para 8 of the

judgment. There are as many as eleven incriminating circumstances which

have been proved on record. These include the circumstances of last seen,

namely, appellant was found talking with the victim girl and taking her to his

house. Such an occurrence was seen by PW-4 Dharmendra, PW-5 Shrikant,

15

PW-15 Survarna and PW-21 Radheshyam. The Court has also gone into the

conduct of the appellant when the mother of the victim girl went to his house

to enquire about her daughter. The appellant had replied that he had not sent

her daughter anywhere and that he was not aware of whereabouts of her

daughter. However, the dead body of the victim girl was found in his house

under the bed on which he was lying down, when enquired. Slippers and

clothes of the victim girl were also recovered from the house of the appellant.

Likewise there was a seizure of blood stained chadar. The medical evidence

produced by the prosecution including DNA report and post-mortem report of

the girl completely corroborated the aforesaid circumstances. Above all, the

appellant had not offered any plausible explanation about the presence of the

dead body of the victim girl in his house or about other incriminating

circumstances, when his statement was recorded under Section 313 of the

Cr.PC. There is an elaborate discussion about the deposition of various

witnesses who proved the aforesaid circumstances. Mr. Naphade, learned

senior counsel appearing for the appellant was unable to point out any flaw in

the impugned judgment of the High Court upholding the conviction of the

appellant under the provisions of Section 302, 376(2)(f) and Section 342 of

IPC. In fact, conscience of the limitation of the appellant's case insofar as his

conviction is concerned, main emphasis of Mr. Naphade was on the death

sentence which is imposed upon the appellant for offence under Section 302,

IPC. For the aforesaid reasons insofar as conviction of the appellant under

16

the aforesaid provisions of IPC is concerned, the same is maintained and

upheld.

6.Reverting to the issue of death penalty, learned senior counsel

submitted that the case did not fall under the category of rarest of rare cases

and, therefore, the capital punishment was not a desirable punishment in the

instant case. We have given our serious thoughts on this aspect. After

examining the matter at length, we are of the opinion that the instant case

would not fall in the category of rarest of rare cases and it would be in the

interest of justice if the death sentence is commuted into life imprisonment. At

the same time we are also of the opinion that life sentence should be with a

cap of 20 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) which would mean that the

appellant shall not be entitled to make any representation for remission till he

completes 20 years of RI. It is more so, keeping in view the age of the

appellant who is at present more than 60 years of age, and has no history of

any other criminal activity, possibility of reform, as the learned counsel for

respondent-State could not point out blameworthy conduct depicted by him in

jail.

7.The appeal is partly allowed in the aforesaid terms. Insofar as

sentences given under Sections 376 and 342, IPC are concerned, those are

maintained with clarification that all the sentences shall run concurrently.

.............................................J.

17

(A.K. SIKRI)

.............................................J.

(ASHOK BHUSHAN)

.............................................J.

(INDIRA BANERJEE)

NEW DELHI;

NOVEMBER 01, 2018.