Archive · 7 Jan 2026
Death Sentence Commuted After 19 Years
Two men were sentenced to death in 2006 for kidnapping and murdering a young boy.
After 19 years, a high court changed their sentence to life in prison.
The court decided this because the men were kept alone in prison for a long time without following the rules, and there was a big delay in deciding their requests for mercy.
The court said these things were unfair and went against the men's rights.
The court also mentioned quotes about dignity and mercy to support their decision.
Two men were convicted in 2006 for kidnapping and murdering a minor boy for ransom in 2005.
Their death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2024.
The court cited illegal solitary confinement from 2006 to 2009 and a four-year delay in processing mercy petitions as reasons for the commutation.
The convicts were not informed about their right to file mercy petitions nor provided legal aid, leading to delays.
The court held that these factors infringed upon the convicts' rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.
- Who
- Two men convicted of kidnapping and murdering a minor boy in 2005
- What
- Their death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment
- When
- The commutation was ordered after 19 years, in 2024
- Where
- The case was heard by the Punjab and Haryana High Court
- Why
- Due to illegal solitary confinement and delay in processing mercy petitions
- Convicts
- Two men
- Crime
- Kidnapping and murder of a minor boy for ransom
- Year of Crime
- 2005
- Ransom Demanded
- Rs 50 lakh
- Initial Sentence
- Death penalty in 2006
- Commutation Grounds
- Illegal solitary confinement and delay in mercy petitions
- New Sentence
- Life imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives
- Court
- Punjab and Haryana High Court