The mere heinous nature of crime cannot be the deciding factor for awarding a death sentence, Supreme court.
The Supreme Court has observed that mere heinous nature of the offense cannot be the deciding factor for awarding the death penalty. The court while reducing the death sentence awarded to a man accused of rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl said that an equally relevant aspect relating to the mitigating factors must also be considered before arriving at this conclusion. That the option of any punishment other than the death penalty has been exhausted
