Supreme Court: In proceedings arising out of a death reference and connected criminal appeal, a Three Judge Bench of Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi, JJ., while staying the execution of the death sentence, issued comprehensive directions to streamline the process of sentencing in capital punishment cases. The Court expressed serious concern over the failure to consider mitigating and aggravating circumstances at appropriate stages and the lack of effective legal representation, which undermines a balanced and constitutionally compliant sentencing exercise.
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The instant proceedings arise out of the judgment and order dated 22 January 2026 passed by the Patna High Court in Death Reference No. 2 of 2024 and Criminal Appeal (DB) No. 691 of 2024, whereby the appellant(s) were sentenced to death. The appeals are presently under consideration before the Court. The Court has stayed the execution of the death sentence and has summoned the original records from the trial court and the High Court. Directions have also been issued for submission of probation reports, jail conduct reports, psychological evaluation, and a detailed mitigation investigation report through trained professionals.
The Court expressed serious concern over the recurring failure to collect and assess mitigating and aggravating circumstances at the appropriate stages in cases involving capital punishment. Placing reliance on Manoj v. State of M.P., (2023) 2 SCC 353, it reiterated that reformation remains a foundational goal of criminal punishment; however, the absence of a structured and measurable framework, coupled with inadequate prison reforms, has hindered meaningful rehabilitation. The Court noted a troubling trend where such crucial materials are being called for only at the appellate stage, resulting in delay and undermining a balanced sentencing process. It further highlighted the issue of inadequate legal representation in death penalty cases, observing that ineffective defence and lack of diligent prosecution often deprive courts of a complete perspective necessary for a just sentencing determination.
Taking note of the aforesaid concerns, the Court issued comprehensive directions to streamline the sentencing process in capital cases:
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Trial courts shall mandatorily call for reports on aggravating and mitigating circumstances immediately upon conviction, prior to sentencing.
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Where such reports are not obtained at the trial stage, the High Court shall mandatorily call for them at the stage of admission of the death reference.
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Authorities must ensure that these reports are comprehensive, verified, and submitted within a fixed time-frame, with parties being given an opportunity to examine and address them; High Courts may seek fresh reports if existing ones are inadequate.
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In all death sentence confirmation cases, Legal Services Committees shall appoint a dedicated legal team (one Senior Counsel and at least two experienced advocates) to represent the convict, irrespective of private representation.
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Each High Court shall maintain a specialised panel of advocates under its Legal Services Committee to handle death reference matters.
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The National Legal Services Authority shall frame guidelines for collection of mitigating circumstances and engage multidisciplinary teams to prepare detailed reports on the convict’s background, aiding a holistic sentencing determination.
The execution of the death sentence was ordered to remain stayed, and the matter has been directed to be listed after twenty weeks upon receipt of all requisite reports.
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[Aman Singh v. State of Bihar, 2026 SCC OnLine SC 720, decided on 27-4-2026]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the Petitioner: Pramod Kumar Dubey, Sr Adv, Saurav Agrawal, Ravi Sharma, AOR, Madhulika Rai Sharma, Pinky Dubey, Amrita Vatsa, Satyam Sharma, Anjani Kumar Rai, Prachi Dubey, Aarya Bhat, Anadi Mishra, Samarth Kasana Panwar, Shivangi Mishra, Suchitra Kumbhat, Abhilash Pathak, Mukesh Kumar Tiwari, Ajit Kumar Upadhyay, Satish Kumar Shukla, Advocates