No legal aid to accused, SC orders fresh trial in 30-year-old blast case

Supreme Court set aside conviction and death sentence of Abdul Hameed in Rajasthan's 1996 Samleti bus blast case.

Court found that meaningful legal assistance was not provided to the accused during trial.

Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta ordered a fresh trial de novo in a special court in Jaipur.

The special court must be presided by an officer with at least seven years' experience of sessions trials and conclude trial within a year.

Court emphasized that legitimacy of a verdict rests on fairness of process, not severity of punishment.