The Supreme Court on Wednesday listed for March 18 the plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment on the ground of prolonged delay in deciding his mercy petition.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N. V. Anjaria adjourned the matter after the counsel for the Union government sought time. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Rajoana, pointed out that the Court in its order dated September 24, 2025 had observed that no further adjournment at the instance of the respondents would be entertained. The bench nevertheless directed, “List on March 18.”
Beant Singh and 16 others were killed in a blast at the entrance of the civil secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. A special court in July 2007 sentenced Rajoana to death for his role in the assassination.
Rajoana has been in custody for over 29 years and has spent more than 15 years on death row.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee filed a mercy petition on his behalf under Article 72 of the Constitution in March 2012. The Supreme Court had earlier asked the Centre to take a decision on the mercy plea. The Union government had submitted that the matter was sensitive and remained under consideration.
In September 2024, the Court sought responses from the Centre, the Punjab government and the Union Territory of Chandigarh administration on Rajoana’s plea.
On May 3, 2023, the Supreme Court declined to commute his death sentence and held that the competent authority could decide the mercy petition.
In his fresh plea, Rajoana has sought commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment, citing the prolonged delay in the disposal of his mercy petition. He has stated that he has undergone 28.8 years of incarceration, including over 15 years as a death row convict.
The plea also refers to an April 2023 Supreme Court order in another matter directing all states and competent authorities to decide pending mercy petitions expeditiously and without inordinate delay.
The matter will now be taken up on March 18.
