Rarest of Rare Doctrine

The Indian Supreme Court principle that the death penalty should only be imposed in the rarest of rare cases, balancing aggravating and mitigating factors.

1. Supreme Court of India Childhood Contact Death Penalty Commutation Case

2. Jurisdiction: India (2022-05-15)
3. Original Case: Mahesh Kumar v. State of Rajasthan (Criminal Appeal No. 556 of 2025)
4. VictimsAnanya GuptaDefendantsMahesh KumarPlaintiffsState of RajasthanInvestigatorsDeputy Superintendent of Police Rajendra Singh ShekhawatProsecutorsAdditional Advocate General Sunita SharmaDefense AttorneysSenior Advocate Indira JaisingPlaintiff AttorneysAdvocate Meenakshi LekhiJudgesJustice Sanjiv KhannaJustice B.V. NagarathnaJustice P.S. NarasimhaInstitutionsSupreme Court of IndiaRajasthan High CourtSessions Court, Jaipur
5. Case Tags: Death Penalty Commutation;Childhood Trauma Mitigation;Rarest of Rare Doctrine;Supreme Court of India Judgments