SC notice on commuting death sentence

The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the centre and the home ministry on a petition challenging former president Pratibha Patil's decision commuting the death sentence of five people convicted of child rape to life imprisonment.

Senior counsel S Naphade, appearing for petitioner Pinki Virani, told an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam: "The Supreme Court has itself laid down parameters under which death penalties are awarded. These are crimes of extreme brutalities. How can article 72 be exercised to commute the death penalty to life imprisonment?"

Article 72 of the constitution empowers the president to commute a death sentence to life imprisonment.

Virani is an author who has extensively written on child abuse in India.