The special bench stayed the execution after reviewing the mitigation report. The report highlighted that Singh was only 23 at the time of the crime and is now 37, suggesting the possibility of reformation.
The Supreme Court has stayed the death sentence of Sukhjinder Singh alias Sukha, convicted of the brutal murder of a seven-year-old child in 2010. Singh was awarded death sentence by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in August this year. A special bench comprising Justice BR Gavai, Justice KV Vishwanathan and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra stayed the execution after reviewing the mitigation report. The report highlighted that Singh was only 23 at the time of the crime and is now 37, suggesting the possibility of reformation.
The court scheduled the next hearing after 16 weeks and directed the State of Punjab to submit a report from the probation officer. It also asked the superintendent of the Central Jail in Amritsar to provide details about Singh’s work, conduct and behavior during his stay in jail. Also, the court ordered the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh to conduct a psychological evaluation of the accused. Mitigation reports indicate that Singh was under extreme mental stress and had attempted suicide. The petitioner is no longer a threat to society and has shown signs of reformation.
The report criticized the High Court’s sentencing process, stating that neither psychiatric nor psychological evaluation was submitted before confirming the death sentence. The court failed to assess Singh’s prospects for rehabilitation, which should have been considered as mitigating evidence.
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