‘LAST CHANCE’: SC DEADLINE TO CENTRE ON BEANT SINGH KILLER’S MERCY PLEA

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted “last chance” to the Centre to decide within two weeks on Balwant S Rajoana’s plea seeking commutation of death penalty in former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination case.

The Centre sought three weeks to decide on the plea saying the government is examining the issue and needs time under the present circumstances, without elaborating further.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, why does government needs three weeks, what is it doing? The bench said that “three weeks’ time sounds unreasonable to us. We had told you to do it by January 26. Today is January 25”.

Mehta said that under the present circumstances, it is advisable to have the matter after three weeks. The bench said, “We are giving you last chance. Two weeks”.

During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Rajoana, said that this man is in jail for last over 25 years and his mercy petition is pending for last nine years.

Mehta submitted that government is examining it and urged the top court to have the matter after three weeks, under the present circumstances.

Rohatgi said that he is opposing the submission of the Solicitor General.

Rajoana, a former Punjab Police constable, was convicted for his involvement in an explosion outside the Punjab civil secretariat that killed Beant Singh and 16 others in 1995.

The SC on January 8, asked the Centre to take a decision before January 26 on Rajoana’s plea for commutation of his death penalty in the case.

The Centre had assured SC that a decision will be taken by then and the file will be sent to the President.