KARTAR SINGH AND OTHERS vs STATE OF HARYANA THROUGH INSPECTOR .GENERAL OF PRISON, CHAN

The Supreme Court held that Section 428 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.) does not apply to life convicts, as it is specifically meant for those sentenced to imprisonment for a term. The Court clarified that 'imprisonment for life' and 'imprisonment for a term' are distinct legal concepts, with the former denoting imprisonment for the convict's natural life and the latter for a fixed duration. Consequently, the petitioners' claim for set-off of under-trial detention against their life sentences was dismissed, affirming the legality of their continued detention under the Haryana government's order.