Supreme Court pulls up Trial Court, cancels Black Warrant

On Thursday, the Apex Court was in for a shock when it came to know about the issuance of black warrants for the execution of a death penalty by a Trial Court even before the expiry of the sixty-day time period for filing of appeal before it.

A Bench, headed by CJI SA Bobde, referred the Supreme Court verdict that said the death warrant couldn't be issued before the expiry of the sixty-day mandatory period for filing the appeal in the Top Court against the HC’s judgment confirming death penalty.

It stayed the death warrant issued by a Gujarat Sessions Court against convict Anil Surendra Singh Yadav in a rape-and-murder case. The 22-year-old accused was convicted of raping & murdering a 3-year-old girl in Surat.

It said that “We want to know as to how such orders issuing black warrants are being passed by the trial court despite a reported judgment in this regard. Someone has to explain this. The judicial process can’t be allowed to happen like this".

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said ignorance of the law couldn't be a ground for Judges to pass such an order.

The Supreme Court sought the assistance of the Solicitor General in the matter.

Nirbhaya convict hurts himself in prison cell

Death-row convict in the Nirbhaya gang-rape & murder case, Vinay Sharma, injured himself by banging his head against a wall in Tihar Jail
Later, a Delhi court sought the jail authorities' reply on Vinay's plea for better treatment for “mental illness, schizophrenia” & head & arm injuries

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