Supreme Court's Dilemma: Revisiting Death Row Cases Post-2022 Verdict

The Supreme Court will scrutinize a writ petition questioning its death penalty confirmation for Vasanta Sampat Dupare considering a 2022 ruling on mitigating factors. Dupare, sentenced for the brutal 2008 murder of a child, challenges finality of previous rulings, raising legal procedural questions.

The Supreme Court is set to examine whether a writ petition can challenge its previous confirmation of the death penalty, particularly in light of a 2022 decision mandating consideration of mitigating circumstances in such cases.

Death row convict Vasanta Sampat Dupare filed the petition after exhausting multiple avenues, including dismissed mercy petitions to the Governor and the President, following a 2014 verdict confirming his sentence for a heinous crime.

During proceedings, the bench questioned if the 2022 verdict, which reconsidered death row trials, applies here, while Maharashtra's Advocate General argued against entertaining the writ under Article 32. The court adjourned, allowing time for further persuasion.

(With inputs from agencies.)