A general view of the Supreme Court of India.
The Supreme Court is currently deliberating on the mercy petition of death row inmate Balwant Singh Rajoana, who seeks commutation of his death sentence connected to the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
A Special Bench, led by Justice B.R. Gavai, has instructed the Secretary to the President of India to present Rajoana’s plea for consideration within two weeks. This order followed an observed lack of representation from the Union government during the hearing.
After the session, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta entered the court, expressing regret over the absence of Union representation. He requested Justice Gavai to reconsider and reschedule the hearing for Tuesday.
Justice Gavai clarified that the court had merely requested the President’s Secretary to review the case.
Mehta emphasized the severity of the case, noting the conviction involved the assassination of a high-ranking official.
Justice Gavai directed Mehta to consult with senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who represents Rajoana, and return with a status update.
“The last hearing aimed to allow the Union time to gather instructions from the President’s office regarding the timeline for deciding on the mercy plea. Given that the petitioner is on death row, we are directing the Secretary to the President to have this matter reviewed within two weeks,” the Bench stated.
The next hearing appointment is set for December 5.
On September 25, the Supreme Court requested responses from the Central Government, the Punjab administration, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh concerning Rajoana’s application.
The attack on the civil secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995, resulted in the deaths of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and 16 others. Rajoana was sentenced to death in July 2007 by a special court.
In March 2012, a mercy petition was filed on Rajoana’s behalf by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee under Article 72 of the Indian Constitution.
The Supreme Court had previously declined to commute his death sentence on May 3 of the previous year, indicating that the appropriate authority could address his mercy petition.
Published – November 18, 2024 11:35 am IST
