In Brief
This case concerns a review petition filed by Akshay Kumar Singh, who was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in a gang rape case (the infamous 2012 Delhi bus case). The Supreme Court dismissed his review petition, holding that the scope of review in criminal proceedings is strictly limited to errors apparent on the face of the record. The Court found no such error in its previous judgment dated 05.05.2017, which had thoroughly considered and rejected all the grounds now raised again by the petitioner. The conviction was based on credible evidence including dying declarations, eyewitness testimony, DNA evidence, and recoveries at the accused's behest. The Court emphasized that a review cannot be used for re-appreciation of evidence or re-hearing of old arguments. The death penalty was upheld as the case fell within the 'rarest of rare cases' category.
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