Supreme Court hears Balwant Singh Rajoana’s plea for relief

The Supreme Court issued notice to the Center and the Punjab government citing “inordinate delay” in deciding the mercy petition on Balwant Singh Rajoana’s plea seeking commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment.

Rajoana, who was found guilty of the assassination of Punjab Prime Minister Beant Singh in 1995, was sentenced to death for 17 of the 28 years he spent in prison. In March 2012, a mercy petition was filed on his behalf by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee under Article 72 of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court had earlier refused to commute the death sentence and directed the authorities to consider the mercy petition. Rajoana’s current defense highlights that despite the order for a speedy decision, her petition remains unresolved, allegedly violating her right to life under Article 21.

(With input from institutions.)