Source : INDIATV NEWS
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to decide on death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination case of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh. Court gave the ‘last chance’ to the Union government and said it will take a decision on merit basis otherwise. The top court was hearing Rajoana’s plea seeking directions to commute his death sentence to life term due to the “inordinate delay” in deciding his mercy plea.
Court to hear the case on March 18
A bench of Justices B R Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra and K V Viswanathan told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, the matter will be heard on March 18. If the Centre fails to takes a decision before it then the court will hear it on merits.
“We will hear it on merits on March 18,” the bench said, “by then if you can take a decision, well and good. Either way you decide it so that it could facilitate us. Otherwise we will hear it (plea seeking directions to commute death sentence) on merits,” said the bench.
Centre sought six weeks time
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta asked for six weeks time from the court saying “It is a murder of a sitting chief minister in a terror attack. It is serious and has ramifications.”
Rajoana’s counsel said he should be granted some relief and be released as the mercy petition was pending since long, Mehta said, “That is precisely the problem. Should he come back in the society? We will hear you. We will give them some time,” said the bench.
On November 25 last year, the Centre informed the apex court that there was sensitivity involved in the matter related to the mercy petition of Rajoana.
While hearing the petition on November 18 last year, the apex court put on hold its order asking President Droupadi Murmu’s secretary to place before her the mercy petition of Rajoana for consideration.
After the order was passed in the morning on November 18, 2024, the solicitor general urged the bench that it should not be given effect as there were “sensitivities” involved in the issue.
Mehta said the file was with the home ministry and not the President.
(With PTI inputs_
