SHUIDAGOUDA NINGAPPA GHANDAVAR vs STATE OF KARNATAKA

The Supreme Court held that the imposition of the death sentence is not warranted in this case, emphasizing that the normal sentence for murder is life imprisonment as established in Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab. The Court found that the appellant's crime, while serious, stemmed from a land dispute and that he is not a habitual criminal. The Court modified the sentence to life imprisonment, stating that the ends of justice would be served without resorting to the death penalty, and expressed hope that the government would not commute the sentence to less than fourteen years under Section 433A of the Criminal Procedure Code.