STATE OF HARYANA AND ANR. vs RAM DIYA

The Supreme Court held that Section 433A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, is prospective and does not apply to convictions prior to its introduction. The Court affirmed that life imprisonment means incarceration until death, and there is no vested right to premature release based solely on the completion of minimum imprisonment under Section 433A. The Court dismissed the appeals of the State Government, directing that the cases of the respondents, whose convictions predated Section 433A, must be considered for premature release under the prevailing rules or executive instructions, as established in Maru Ram v. Union of India.