Supreme Court Guidelines Cited as Madurai Division Affirms Death Penalty

Referencing earlier pronouncements of the Supreme Court, the Madurai division stated that death penalties may be imposed in the ‘rarest of rare’ cases, a category under which the present offence falls. The judges stressed that a society's stature is judged by how it safeguards its most vulnerable members, especially children.

The verdict reaffirmed the earlier Special Sessions Court decision of March 12, which convicted Anand Shekhar and sentenced him to death, and the state’s subsequent confirmation through a police‑initiated reference.