Decide or we will consider it: SC to Centre on Beant Singh assassination convict Balwant Singh Rajoana's mercy plea
Supreme Court on Monday said it would consider the the mercy petition of death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination case of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, if the Centre does not decide on it «either way». A bench of Justices B R Gavai, P K Mishra and K V Viswanathan adjourned for two weeks the former Punjab Police constable's plea seeking commutation of his death sentence to life term due to an «inordinate delay» in deciding his mercy petition.
«Decide it either way or we will consider it (Rajoana's plea),» the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, after he informed the court that Rajoana's mercy plea was pending with the president's house.
Rajoana has been in continuous custody for 29 years, said his counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, while seeking his release till the mercy petition is decided.
«His mercy petition has been pending with the president's house for the past 12 years. Please release him for six or three months. At least let him see what the outside world looks like,» Rohatgi submitted.
The bench was informed by the Punjab government that they need some time to file their counter affidavit in the case.
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