RETTI DEENABANDHU & ORS. vs STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

The Supreme Court held that a convicted person retains the right to appeal against their conviction even if they have already served their sentence or are entitled to be set at liberty due to prior detention under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The Court emphasized that a conviction carries a stigma and consequences that the individual may seek to challenge, regardless of their current liberty status. The judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which dismissed the appeal on academic grounds, was set aside, affirming the right to contest the conviction.