In Brief
A man was convicted of murdering and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl who he had taken on the pretext of buying her chocolates. The High Court confirmed his death sentence. On appeal, the Supreme Court found the murder charge proved by circumstantial evidence but acquitted him of rape charges, as medical evidence showed no signs of sexual assault. The Court held that without proof of rape, death penalty was unjustified. Citing the principle that life imprisonment is the rule and death sentence the exception, the Court commuted the sentence to life imprisonment, finding mitigating factors (youth, no criminal background, rehabilitation potential) outweighed the aggravating factors."
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