Allahabad High Court: Heinous, Premeditated Crime Warrants Natural Life Term, Not Death Penalty

The Allahabad High Court commuted a death sentence to imprisonment for the remainder of natural life in a case involving rape and murder of a minor girl by her cousin. While recognizing the brutality and premeditation involved, the Court held that the “rarest of rare” threshold for death penalty was not met. The judgment extensively discusses sentencing principles, proportionality, mitigating vs aggravating circumstances, and the evolving jurisprudence on capital punishment. It reiterates that life imprisonment till natural life can adequately serve justice without resorting to death penalty unless absolutely necessary.