In Brief
Jagdish was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering his wife and five children, with the conviction confirmed by the High Court and Supreme Court. He filed a mercy petition in 2009, but the State Government delayed forwarding it to the President for over 4 years with no explanation. The Supreme Court held that this inordinate, unexplained delay—combined with his 14 years in prison—violated his constitutional right to fair procedure under Article 21. Although the crime was brutal and fell within the evidence-based conviction category, the Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment, holding that procedural violations render such cases unfit for execution despite the severity of the crime.
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