New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken the Central government to task for delay in taking a decision on the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajaona who was awarded capital punishment for assassinating former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
Rajaona has been in jail for 25 years, waiting for execution. A special court awarded him capital punishment in 2007, and his mercy petition has been gathering dust for more than eight years. In his plea, Rajona said that the delay adversely affected his mental and physical health.
A bench comprising Chief Justice UU Lali said on Wednesday it was not inclined to entertain the request of the Centre’s counsel to grant adjournment in the matter. The other members of the bench are Justices S Ravindra Bhat and JB Pardiwala. The apex court directed a responsible officer from the department concerned to file an affidavit on the issue by Thursday. The case will be heard on Friday, the bench said.
The apex court allowed two months to the Centre to take a decision on Rajoba’s mercy plea in May, directing it to dispose of the mercy petition within two months. Additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, representing the government, said that because the mercy plea was filed by an organisation and not by the convict, it cannot be considered. The court, however, noted that the mercy petition filed by an organisation cannot be an obstruction to dispose of the plea.
