In Brief
Pawan Kumar Gupta challenged the President's rejection of his mercy petition under Article 32, arguing that settled principles for considering mercy petitions were not followed. He claimed juvenility (alleging he was 16 at the time of the 2012 incident), torture in prison, and that his common intention with co-accused was unclear. The Supreme Court held that judicial review of presidential clemency orders is strictly limited to grounds like lack of application of mind, mala fides, or extraneous considerations. Since the petitioner's juvenility claim had been finally adjudicated and rejected through prior court proceedings, prison conditions and guilt determinations could not reopen those issues. The Court presumed the President acted carefully and dismissed the petition.
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