Death Penalty Commuted in Minor Rape Case as Trial Court Failed to Examine Possibility of Reformation: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court recently delivered an important judgment dealing with the sentencing principles in cases involving rape of a minor. The case arose from a heinous incident where a six-year-old girl was sexually assaulted. The trial court had convicted the accused and awarded the death penalty. However, the High Court re-examined the sentencing aspect in detail and commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment for the remainder of the…