In Brief
Two appellants were convicted of kidnapping, murdering, and burning the body of an 18-year-old boy for ransom in 2003. The trial court imposed 30 years imprisonment without remission; the High Court affirmed this. The Supreme Court partly allowed the appeal and modified the sentence to a minimum of 20 years actual imprisonment. The Court held that trial courts cannot impose fixed-term sentences (restricted remission) as alternatives to death penalty—only High Courts and Supreme Court possess this power. The Court emphasized that mitigating circumstances, including the appellants' young age at offence, educated backgrounds, exemplary jail conduct, psychological fitness, and reformation prospects, must be thoroughly evaluated and balanced against aggravating factors in sentencing.
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