Supreme Court Demands Decision on Balwant Singh Rajoana's Mercy Plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to file its affidavit within two weeks concerning Balwant Singh Rajoana's request to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment. This decision comes more than 29 years after Rajoana's incarceration for the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. The delay in the Centre's response to Rajoana's mercy plea raises significant questions.

The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and Vijay Bishnoi. The justices expressed discontent with the Centre's failure to counter Rajoana's allegations. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi argued on behalf of Rajoana, emphasizing the nine-year pendency of the mercy plea filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in March 2012. The court reminded the Centre of its September 2024 order, stressing no further requests for adjournments will be entertained.

While the Centre highlighted the sensitivity of the matter, it was reminded by the apex court of its earlier directive to expedite the decision. Rajoana's plea comes after a special court sentenced him to death in 2007 for the execution of a brutal blast at Chandigarh's civil secretariat in 1995, resulting in the deaths of 17 people, including Beant Singh.