MARU RAM ETC. ETC. vs UNION OF lNDIA & ANR.

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 433A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, stating it prescribes a minimum of 14 years of actual imprisonment for life sentences and is supreme over state remission rules. The Court clarified that while remissions under Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution are valid, release in life sentence cases requires a specific government order. It was held that Section 433A does not violate Article 20(1) and is prospective, not retroactive, meaning it does not affect cases decided before its enactment on December 18, 1978.