National News

Abdul Hameed v. State of Rajasthan case

July 28 , 2026 9 hrs 0 min 23 0

The Supreme Court (SC), in Abdul Hameed v. State of Rajasthan, set aside the death sentence of Dr. Abdul Hameed in the 1996 Samleti Bus Bomb Blast case in Dausa, Rajasthan.
Th SC holds that the trial was fundamentally vitiated due to the denial of effective legal representation, which violated his constitutional right to a fair trial.
The Court ordered a fresh (de novo) trial to be completed within one year.
The administration of criminal justice relies not just on securing convictions, but on ensuring the procedure is fair, just, and reasonable.
The SC ruled that the constitutional guarantee of a fair trial is "absolutely non-negotiable and cannot be sacrificed at the altar of practical convenience."
It can only be used to "lend assurance to a conclusion otherwise reached" on the basis of independent and legally admissible evidence.
The Supreme Court reiterated that the confession of a co-accused is not substantive evidence.
The Court remarked, "The true measure of justice does not lie in the swiftness of retribution, but in the discipline of restraint."