NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Union government's four weeks additional time to take a call on a pending a mercy petition in connection with a death row convict, Balwant Singh Rajoana.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before a bench of Justices B R Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra and K V Vishwanathan that "some sensitivity" is involved and more inputs from agencies are required.
Supreme Court Extends Deadline for Centre on Balwant Singh Rajoana’s Mercy Plea
Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj also for the Centre said some more inputs are required to be taken in the case. He said it is sensitive matter.
Upon hearing their submission, the court granted them four weeks time.
Rajoana, 57 years, a member of banned Babbar Khalsa, has been sentenced to death penalty in the case related to assassination of then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
On November 18, the court had directed President Droupadi Murmu's secretary to place before her the mercy petition with a request to decide the matter within two weeks.
Within hours, the court, however, put on hold the order, upon a request by the Solicitor General.
He said that the order should not be given effect as there are "sensitivities" involved in the issue.
He submitted that the file is with the Home Ministry and not with the President's office.
Beant Singh Assassination Case: SC Gives Centre 4 Weeks to Address Mercy Petition
Rajoana is a death row convict in the 1995 assassination case of then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
On November 4, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider interim relief for Rajoana, who sought commutation of his sentence over inordinate delay in deciding his mercy plea.
His counsel said that this is a shocking case as the petitioner has been in custody for 29 years and has never been out of jail.
He had said it is complete violation of Article 21 of the Constitution as his mercy petition is pending consideration for 12 years.
On May 3, 2023, the Supreme Court had dismissed a plea by Rajoana for commutation of his death penalty in the 1995 assassination case of then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, due to inordinate delay of over 10 year in deciding a mercy petition, saying it is the executive's domain to take a call on such sensitive issues.
On August 31, 1995, in a bomb blast, then Chief Minister of Punjab Beant Singh, along with 16 others, lost their lives and a dozen others were injured.
The petitioner was arrested on January 27, 1996.
The trial court on July 27, 2007 convicted the petitioner along with co-accused Jagtar Singh Hawara, Gurmeet Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Shamsher Singh and Nasib Singh. The petitioner along with co-accused Jagtar Singh Hawara were awarded death sentence.
The High Court on December 10, 2010 confirmed the conviction and sentence of the petitioner.
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