India, July 21 -- The Supreme Court on Monday reduced the sentence of a man convicted in a 2016 rape case from life imprisonment to 20 years in jail with benefit of remission, saying there was a possibility of reformation as the offence was committed when he was 25.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih noted that the man had no criminal antecedents and has maintained a good conduct in jail.

"In the present case, the appellant convict has no criminal antecedents; was of only 25 years when the offence was committed; given the young age, there is a possibility of reformation.

"The State has neither brought on record anything to show that the same would not be possible, nor has it contravened the statement made on be...