The Supreme Court has set aside the conviction and death sentence of Abdul Hameed in the 1996 Samleti bus bomb blast case. The Court held that the trial was vitiated by denial of effective legal representation and other procedural failings, and it ordered a de novo trial within one year.
The case is significant because it links criminal justice in a grave bombing incident to the constitutional guarantee of a fair trial. For UPSC, the key issue is not only the outcome in one prosecution, but also the standards that must govern capital cases, legal aid, and appellate correction.
What happened now
The Supreme Court interfered with a conviction that had stood for years and held that the process leading to the death sentence was legally unsound. The Court’s direction for a fresh trial means the prosecution must prove the case again before a competent court under proper procedural safeguards.
Background and earlier position
The blast took place on May 22, 1996 and targeted a Rajasthan Roadways bus. The explosion killed 14 people and injured 39 people. Abdul Hameed was arrested nearly three decades before the Supreme Court’s latest order, and the death sentence was imposed about 12 years before the conviction was set aside.
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