The Supreme Court tells the President’s Office to speed up the mercy request of death row inmate Balwant Singh Rajoana.
The Supreme Court instructed the President’s secretary to quickly present the mercy petition of death row inmate Balwant Singh Rajoana to President Droupadi Murmu, asking for a decision within two weeks. Rajoana was sentenced to death for his involvement in the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was killed in a bomb blast along with 16 others at the Chandigarh civil secretariat. The Bench, consisting of Justice BR Gavai, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, and Justice KV Viswanathan, issued this order after noting that no representatives from the Union government were present during the hearing. The court highlighted the urgency, stating, “Despite the matter being specifically scheduled today, no one appeared for the Union of India. The bench was convened solely for this case.”
During the session, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi represented Rajoana. The court postponed the hearing to December 5 and remarked, “Considering that the petitioner is on death row, we direct the secretary to the President of India to present the matter for consideration within two weeks.” The Bench also mentioned that if no decision is made, they will review Rajoana’s requests for interim relief. Notably, on November 4, the Court had asked for a response from the Punjab Government regarding the writ petition. The Senior Counsel argued, “He is a finished person. At least let him see what is outside the jail. You cannot have a complete violation of Article 21.”
The Apex Court initially rejected a commutation petition in May 2023 but stated that the mercy petition could be reviewed when necessary. After 16 months, on September 25, the Court decided to reconsider Rajoana’s plea due to delays and asked the Centre and Punjab Government for their opinions. In 1995, a bomb blast killed the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Shri Beant Singh, along with 16 others, and injured many more. The Petitioner and eight others were accused of planning and carrying out the attack and were put on trial. In 2007, the Trial Court convicted the Petitioner and the co-accused under various sections of the IPC and the Explosives Substances Act, sentencing them to death. The High Court later confirmed the conviction of co-accused Jagtar Singh but changed the death sentence to life imprisonment. A Mercy Petition was submitted by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee for the Petitioner, but no decision was made for over a decade.
Cause Title: Balwant Singh v. Union of India and Ors. [W.P.(Crl.) No. 414/2024]
