IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. ____ OF 2026
(@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CRIMINAL) NO. 17665/2026)
R. @ B. @ R.O. ...APPELLANT(S)
VERSUS
STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH ...RESPONDENT(S)
[NyayVidhan note: the conviction includes an offence under Section 376(1) of the Indian Penal Code, so this order is anonymised. The appellant's name and aliases are shown by initials (R. @ B. @ R.O.); the order does not name or describe the victim. The High Court's bench seat (paragraph 6 and the record of proceedings) is withheld and marked [bench seat withheld]. The High Court and Supreme Court case numbers and dates are kept. The appeal number is left blank in the signed order. Paragraphs 1-13 carry the Court's numbers. The record of proceedings of 04.11.2026, which follows the signed order, is given in abridged form, with the counsel for each side on one line and its order on one line. The digital-signature block, Registry signatures, typist's initials and page numbers are left out. The order's own wording is otherwise kept as printed.]
[Source: Supreme Court of India, www.sci.gov.in — order dated 4 November 2026.]
ORDER
1. Leave granted.
2. There is an inadvertent error in our order dated 15.09.2026, wherein we recorded that ‘Mr. Manika Tripathy, learned counsel’ had appeared for the State of Madhya Pradesh. Ms. Manika Tripathy is the counsel for the appellant and the respondent-State of Madhya Pradesh is represented by Ms. Mrinal Gopal Elker, learned counsel.
3. The order dated 15.09.2026 may be corrected accordingly.
4. We have heard Ms. Manika Tripathy, learned counsel for the appellant and Mr. V.V.V. Pattabhiram, learned Deputy Advocate General for the respondent-State of Madhya Pradesh.
5. Appellant has been convicted by the Trial Court under Sections 302, 376(1) and 379 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short, ‘IPC’) and sentenced to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment (for short, ‘R.I.’) for life and payment of fine with a default stipulation.
6. Aggrieved by the conviction and sentence, appellant has preferred an appeal before the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at [bench seat withheld] (briefly ‘the High Court’ hereinafter), which has been registered as CRA-3147-2016. In the aforesaid appeal, appellant filed an Interlocutory Application being I.A. No.21084/2016 for suspension of sentence and grant of bail.
7. By the impugned order dated 15.12.2017, the High Court rejected the said interlocutory application and declined to suspend the sentence and grant bail to the appellant.
8. We find from the materials on record that appellant has undergone more than 13 years of incarceration. Further, we find that the criminal appeal pending before the High Court is of the year 2016.
9. In the circumstances, we are of the view that a case for suspension of sentence and grant of bail is made out in favour of the appellant.
10. That being the position, the impugned order dated 15.12.2017 passed by the High Court is set aside.
11. Consequently, we suspend the sentence and grant bail to the appellant on usual terms and conditions. We also request the High Court to hear CRA-3147-2016 expeditiously and at any rate, within a period of 04 months from the date of first mentioning before the Roster Bench of the High Court.
12. Accordingly, the Criminal Appeal is allowed.
13. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.
…………………………………………………...J.
[UJJAL BHUYAN]
…………………………………………………...J.
[ATUL S. CHANDURKAR]
NEW DELHI;
04th NOVEMBER, 2026.
ITEM NO.3 COURT NO.13 SECTION II-E
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No(s). 17665/2026
[Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 15-12-2017 in IA No. 21084/2016 passed by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh [bench seat withheld]]
R. @ B. @ R.O. Petitioner(s)
VERSUS
STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH Respondent(s)
(IA No. 232527/2026 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT; IA No. 232529/2026 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.)
Date : 04-11-2026 This matter was called on for hearing today.
CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE UJJAL BHUYAN
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ATUL S. CHANDURKAR
For Petitioner(s) : Ms. Manika Tripathy- 1568, AOR, Mr. Ashutosh Kaushik, Adv., Mr. Aman Kumar, Adv., Ms. Bhavya, Adv., Ms. Nandhini Nallam, Adv.
For Respondent(s) : Mr. V.V.V. Pattabhiram, D.A.G., Ms. Mrinal Gopal Elker- 2566, AOR, Ms. Aarushi Singh, Adv., Ms. Shubhangi Gupta, Adv.
UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following ORDER: 1. Leave granted. 2. The Criminal Appeal is allowed in terms of the signed order placed on the file. 3. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.
R. @ B. @ R.O. v. State of Madhya Pradesh
The text below is reproduced from the judgment for reference. The article summarises the Court's decision; refer to the original judgment for the authoritative text.