HARBANS SINGH vs STATE OF U.P. & OTHERS

The Supreme Court held that the petitioner, sentenced to death for murder alongside co-accused, could not be treated differently from them, especially since the death sentence of one co-accused was commuted to life imprisonment. The Court recommended that the President exercise powers under Article 72 to commute the petitioner's death sentence to life imprisonment, emphasizing the need for consistency in sentencing. The Court also asserted its inherent jurisdiction to prevent manifest injustice, directing that the matter be referred back to the President for reconsideration of the mercy petition.