No legal aid to accused, SC orders fresh trial in 30-year-old blast case
The Supreme Court of India has overturned the conviction and death sentence of Abdul Hameed in the 1996 Samleti bus blast case, citing a lack of effective legal representation during his original trial. The court ordered a fresh trial, emphasizing that the right to a fair legal defense is a substantive constitutional guarantee that must be upheld regardless of the severity of the crime.
Why it matters
This ruling reinforces the principle that judicial legitimacy depends on procedural fairness and the right to counsel, ensuring that even in high-profile terrorism cases, the rule of law prevails over public outcry.
NEW DELHI: Holding that legitimacy of a judicial verdict is measured not by severity of the punishment but by the fairness of the processes through which guilt is determined, Supreme Court Tuesday set aside the conviction and death sentence of an accused in Rajasthan's 1996 Samleti bus blast case in which 14 people had died, noting that meaningful legal assistance was not made available to him to defend himself.To find out if the accused, Abdul Hameed, was represented by a lawyer, SC interacted with him through video from jail and analysed the order sheet of the trial court.
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