Three decades after a blast in a bus in Rajasthan’s Dausa district killed 14 people; the Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a convict’s death penalty and ordered a fresh trial by a designated court.

A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sandeep Mehta also acquitted a lifer and directed his forthwith release as it dismissed the state government’s appeals against the acquittal of six persons by the high court.

The Bench set aside the 2019 judgment of the Rajasthan High Court on death row convict Abdul Hameed on the ground that he was not provided effective legal representation at the time of recording of evidence during the trial.

Juvenile accused of murder can be tried as adult if conditions met: SC

A juvenile accused of murder can be tried as an adult if statutory requirements were met as such a crime was a “heinous offence” under juvenile justice law, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.

A Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan made the remarks while dismissing an appeal of a juvenile against a Patna High Court verdict allowing his trial as an adult for murdering a boy.

Clarifying the legal framework for trying minors as adults, the Bench ruled that murder (Section 302 of the IPC) must be classified as a “heinous offence” under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2015.

After 25-year legal battle, SC grants back wages, Rs 10 lakh costs to retired CRPF officer

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted back wages, revised pensionary benefits and Rs 10 lakh as litigation costs to a retired Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer, noting that his career was damaged due to the authorities’ failure to properly implement court orders in a disciplinary case after a 25-year-long legal battle.

A Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran, however, refused to direct the promotion of petitioner Prakash Kumar Dixit to the rank of Inspector General (IG), saying he did not fulfil the eligibility conditions for the post.

Noting that a promising career in the CRPF was unnecessarily cut short, the Bench pulled up the authorities for their “callous indifference” and “brazen pen-pushing.”

Collegium faces casual criticism, particularly by those who don’t know about judicial system: CJI

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday said the Supreme Court collegium sometimes faces “very casual criticism,” particularly by those who really do not know about the functioning of the judicial system.

The CJI said that while taking any decision, the collegium has so many important relevant factors which are kept in mind while short-listing judges for appointment to the constitutional courts.

The CJI was speaking at a function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to felicitate Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli and Justice V Mohana, who took oath of office as judges of the top court last month.

He said, “One of the factors for the purpose of elevation to the Supreme Court is always the concept of inclusivity and diversity.”