'Either you decide or we'll hear': SC gives ultimatum to Centre over Rajoana's mercy plea

PTC News Desk: The Supreme Court has given ultimatum to Union government to decide on Rajoana's mercy ple or else the court will take its decision on the merits of petition filed by Balwant Singh Rajoana seeking commutation of death sentence. 

Notably, Balwant Singh Rajoana was awarded death sentence in Beant Singh assassination case. He is seeking commutation on the grounds of delay in considering the mercy petition pending before the President of India since 2012.

This came after a special bench of Justices B.R. Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan on November 18, 2024, had passed an order virtually directing the President of India to decide the mercy petition within 2 weeks, failing which the Court will consider the interim prayer. 

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing Singh informed the court tht nothing has been happened since the last hearing where Court granted Union government to decide on the plea. 

Earlier, in November 2024, the top court had granted Union government four weeks to submit their response on long-pending mercy petition of Beant Singh assassination convict Balwant Singh Rajoana.

Matter is now posted for hearing on March 18.

Balwant Singh Rajoana has been incarcerated for 29 years and on the death row since 2007, for 12 years, he was confined in solitary confinement. The Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld the death sentence in 2010. Rajoana's execution was stayed in 2012 when Shriomani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee filed a mercy petiiton on his behalf. Since then no decision has been taken on his plea and successive governments have cited national security threat and volatile political situation in Punjab for the delay.