SC sets aside death sentence in 1996 Rajasthan bus blast case, orders fresh trial
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) set aside the conviction and death sentence awarded to Abdul Hameed in the 1996 Samleti bus bomb
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) set aside the conviction and death sentence awarded to Abdul Hameed in the 1996 Samleti bus bomb blast case, nearly three decades after his arrest and almost 12 years after he was sentenced to death. Holding that the proceedings stood vitiated by the denial of effective legal representation and other procedural lapses that undermined the constitutional guarantee of a fair trial, the court ordered a de novo trial to be completed within one year. The blast on May 22, 1996 ripped through a Rajasthan Roadways bus travelling from Agra to Bikaner near Samleti village in Rajasthan, killing 14 people and injuring 39 others. The attack occurred a day after the Lajpat Nagar bomb blast in Delhi, which claimed 13 lives. Setting aside a July 2019 judgment of the Rajasthan High Court affirming Dr. Hameed’s conviction and death sentence, a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta left the case, for the present, without any convicted accused. While Dr. Hameed will now face a fresh trial, all the other accused stand acquitted. The ruling authored by Justice Mehta noted that the “trial record unequivocally fortifies” that Dr. Hameed was not provided any meaningful legal assistance. It also pointed out that he had himself cross-examined prosecution witnesses and was left to “fend for himself” despite the case being one of “exceptional seriousness and complexity”. “The obligation to ensure that the accused is provided appropriate legal aid is upon the Court, and the accused cannot be faulted for the Court’s failure to discharge its constitutional obligation of ensuring a fair trial.
The constitutional guarantee of a fair trial is absolutely non-negotiable and cannot be sacrificed at the altar of practical convenience. The administration of criminal justice is founded not merely upon the objective of securing convictions but equally upon the assurance that every conviction is preceded by a procedure which is fair, just and reasonable,” the Bench said. De novo trial Accordingly, the apex court directed the Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court to assign the retrial to a trial court in Jaipur, to be presided over by an officer of the Rajasthan Higher Judicial Service with at least seven years of experience in conducting criminal trials. It also directed the court to make every endeavour to conclude the proceedings within a year from the date the case is assigned. “Before commencing the trial, the Special Court shall ensure that Dr. Abdul Hameed is represented by a counsel of his choice. In the event the said accused is unable to engage a counsel, the Special Court shall secure competent legal representation for him through the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority by appointing an advocate having not less than ten years’ standing at the Bar as the lead defence counsel, assisted by another advocate having not less than seven years’ standing at the Bar, so as to ensure effective and meaningful legal assistance throughout the proceedings,” the Bench ordered. While acknowledging the “practical difficulties” in summoning witnesses nearly three decades after the incident, the Bench directed the concerned police authorities to extend full assistance to the trial court and make every effort to secure the presence of witnesses on the dates fixed for recording their evidence so that the retrial proceeds expeditiously.
The BriefWire