SADHU SINGH RODA S/O BUTA SINGH ETC. vs STATE OF PUNJAB

The Supreme Court held that Paragraph 516-B of the Punjab Jail Manual is not a statutory rule but contains executive instructions that can be amended by subsequent instructions from the State Government. The Court ruled that a life sentence is for the convict's natural life unless a formal commutation order is issued under Section 55 IPC or Section 433(b) of the CrPC 1973. The petitions for premature release were dismissed as none of the petitioners had received a commutation order, affirming that executive instructions must be uniformly applied to avoid discrimination under Article 14 of the Constitution.