Beant Singh Assassination: SC Hauls up Govt Over Lack of Decision on Death Row Convict Rajoana
The Wire Staff
Real journalism holds power accountable
Since 2015, The Wire has done just that.
But we can continue only with your support.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday, September 28 expressed dissatisfaction against the Union government over no decision taken so far on Balwant Singh Rajoana's plea that his death penalty in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh be commuted to life imprisonment on the ground of his long incarceration of 26 years.
The apex court was also unhappy over the submission of the counsel for the Union government that the matter be adjourned.
According to LiveLaw, the Supreme Court had on May 2 directed the Union government to decide on the mercy plea of Rajoana within two months, without being influenced by the fact that the appeals filed by other convicts in the Beant Singh assassination case are pending.
"The time has expired long back. However, as submitted by Additional Solicitor General K.M. Natraj, no decision has been taken by the concerned authority," a bench comprising Chief Justice U.U. Lalit and Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and J.B. Pardiwala said.
It also asked the Union government to file an affidavit and listed the matter for Friday, September 30.
"The moment, we pass a direction, they [the authorities] will have to consider the mercy petition [of Rajaona]. Who is the responsible officer? Has the note on the issue been prepared...We cannot force you to take a particular decision. But, you have to make a decision," news agency PTI reported as the CJI saying.
Rajoana had filed the writ petition in 2020 saying that the Union Government had in 2019 announced its decision to commute his death penalty to mark the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. He sought for the implementation of that decision. He also sought an alternate prayer to commute his death sentence on the ground of long delay in considering the mercy petition.
The counsel for Rajoana had said the death row convict has been in jail for nearly 26 years, and not deciding on his prayer for commutation of the death penalty into life term itself is flawed under Article 21.
Rajoana, a former Punjab Police constable, was convicted for his involvement in an explosion outside the Punjab civil secretariat that killed Beant Singh and 16 others on August 31, 1995.
A special court in July 2007 awarded the death sentence to Rajoana in the case.
(With PTI inputs)
This article went live on September twenty-eighth, two thousand twenty two, at ten minutes past four in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.