The Supreme Court today agreed to hear plea of a life convict alleging that definition of life sentence till death is violative of the Constitution and issued notice to the Centre.
A bench headed by Justice H L Dattu sought response from the Centre on this issue on a petition filed by Sukh Sagar Mishra who is undergoing life imprisonment after being convicted in a murder case.
Advocate H P Sharma, appearing for the life convict, submitted that punishment of living in jail whole life is excessive and illegal.
"Definition of life sentence till death is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India as the reading of Sections 57 and 58 of IPC which was amended in the year 1956 clearly distinguishes the same and therefore, the sentence of whole life is further violative of Article 21 of the Constitution," the petition said.
