In Brief
The appellant, a bus driver, hijacked an MSRTC bus after his duty-change request was denied, driving it recklessly for 14–16 km and killing eight people while injuring 36 others. He claimed insanity under Section 84 IPC, citing psychiatric reports suggesting delusions and hallucinations at the time. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction and rejection of the insanity defence, finding the High Court's analysis sound. However, recognizing the appellant's mental strain, absence of prior criminality, good prison conduct, and genuine remorse, the Court held this was not a 'rarest of rare case' warranting death. The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
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