In a significant directive, the Supreme Court on Monday instructed the secretary to President Droupadi Murmu to present the mercy plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana, the convict on death row for the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, for her consideration. The order was issued by a bench consisting of Justices B R Gavai, P K Mishra, and K V Viswanathan, who emphasized the urgency of the matter given the convict’s status and the delayed response from the Union of India.
Balwant Singh Rajoana was sentenced to death in July 2007 by a special court for his role in the killing of Beant Singh and 16 others in a bomb explosion at the entrance of the Chandigarh civil secretariat. Despite the gravity of his crime, Rajoana has sought a presidential pardon, a request facilitated by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) under Article 72 of the Constitution since March 2012.
The apex court’s intervention comes after its previous refusal on May 3 last year to commute Rajoana’s death sentence, leaving the decision to the discretion of the competent authority. The bench highlighted the absence of representation from the Union of India at the hearing, which was scheduled specifically for this case, stating, “Inspite of the matter being specifically kept today none appeared for Union of India. The bench assembled only for this case.”
