Multiple life terms to run concurrently, not consecutively: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, ruled that if a convict is awarded multiple life imprisonment then they shall run concurrently and not consecutively.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur delivered its verdict on a range of legal questions including whether a convict can be asked to undergo more than one life term in a case or cases.

The bench also comprising justices FMI Kalifulla, A K Sikri, S A Bobde and R Banumati held that the trial courts and the high courts can award a term sentence along with life imprisonment simultaneously in a case where the convict may be asked to first undergo term sentence and then the life sentence.

The judgement came on a batch of petitions including the one filed by A Muthuramalingam on award of sentence in a case and whether they would run concurrently or consecutively.