In Brief
Kiran was convicted of murdering a widow who rejected his sexual advances; he set her ablaze causing fatal burns. While the Supreme Court upheld his conviction under Section 302 IPC based on eyewitness testimony and dying declaration, it partly allowed his appeal on sentencing. The Court held that Sessions Courts cannot impose life imprisonment "until natural death" or deny mandatory set-off for pre-trial detention or bar remission/commutation—these powers are reserved for High Courts and the Supreme Court in exceptional cases. The sentence was modified to simple life imprisonment with set-off benefits restored.
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