Overview
- The court ordered the sentence treated as already undergone with a ₹5,000 fine, carrying a default term of three months' simple imprisonment.
- The case stems from a 1979 incident in Uri; after a decades-long trial, Shameema Begum was convicted in 2009 under Sections 304-II and 324 IPC.
- The appeal, filed in 2009 and focused solely on sentence reduction, remained pending for about sixteen years before final disposal.
- The judgment reiterates that Article 21’s guarantee of a speedy trial extends to appellate proceedings and requires a balancing of circumstances.
- Mitigating factors included the absence of premeditation, the appellant’s age and infirmities, prolonged litigation, and the State’s failure to pursue an appeal.