Sovereign Sensitivities: Supreme Court Delays Rajoana Sentence Decision

The Supreme Court has delayed the hearing of Balwant Singh Rajoana's mercy petition, citing sensitivity and the need for input from various agencies. Convicted in the 1995 assassination of Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, Rajoana seeks commutation from death to life imprisonment due to delayed petition decisions.

The Supreme Court, acknowledging the case's sensitivity, has postponed the hearing of Balwant Singh Rajoana's mercy petition. The Centre requires additional inputs from various agencies, prompting this delay.

The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, and Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj indicated that the decision involves complex considerations. Consequently, the top court has set a hearing for four weeks ahead.

Rajoana, sentenced to death for the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, argues that prolonged delays warrant commuting his sentence to life imprisonment. Filed in March 2012, his mercy petition remains under review, reflecting ongoing sensitivities in the judicial process.

(With inputs from agencies.)