Supreme Court Reviews Balwant Singh Rajoana's Plea for Commutation

The Supreme Court has requested responses from the Centre and Punjab government on Balwant Singh Rajoana's petition to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment due to delays in his mercy petition decision. Convicted for the 1995 assassination of Punjab CM Beant Singh, Rajoana has served 28 years, including 17 on death row.

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and Punjab government, seeking their responses on a plea by Balwant Singh Rajoana to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment, citing an 'inordinate delay' in deciding his mercy petition.

Rajoana, convicted for the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, has been on death row for 17 of the 28 years he has been imprisoned. In March 2012, a mercy petition was filed on his behalf by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee under Article 72 of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court had previously declined to commute his death sentence, directing the competent authorities to handle the mercy petition. Rajoana's current plea highlights that despite a directive for prompt decision-making, his petition remains unresolved, allegedly infringing on his right to life under Article 21.

(With inputs from agencies.)