SC seeks Centre's reply on plea challenging mandatory death penalty under SC/ST Act

A bench of Justices S A Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer issued notice to the Centre on a PIL filed by advocate Rishi Malhotra who has sought striking down of the mandatory death penalty provision under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, saying that several times, the court, through its constitutional powers, has struck down mandatory imposition of capital punishment.