Beant Singh Killing: SC Sets Deadline for Centre to Decide Balwant Singh Rajoana’s Mercy Petition by March 18

New Delhi : The Supreme Court has instructed the Central government to decide by March 18 on the mercy petition filed by death-row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is seeking commutation of his death sentence. The petition relates to his involvement in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995.

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court has provided the final opportunity for the Centre to decide on Rajoana’s mercy petition.
• The convict has been in jail for nearly 29 years and is seeking the reduction of his death sentence to life imprisonment.
• Rajoana’s case involves the assassination of Beant Singh, which took place in 1995.
• His mercy petition has been pending before the President of India for a long time, and Rajoana has cited the delay as a reason for seeking commutation.

A bench consisting of Justices BR Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra, and KV Viswanathan adjourned the case until March 18, as the Centre had requested more time to deliberate on Rajoana’s mercy plea. The bench made it clear that the Centre would be granted one final extension and that, if a decision had not been made by the next hearing, the court would proceed to hear the case on its merits.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, argued that the matter was highly sensitive as it involves the murder of a sitting Chief Minister. He requested an additional four to six weeks for a decision, stating that the government was actively considering the matter. Previously, Mehta had sought more time, explaining that additional inputs from relevant agencies were necessary to proceed.

The apex court was hearing Rajoana’s petition concerning the delay in the consideration of his mercy petition. Rajoana is seeking commutation of his death sentence based on the prolonged delay, which has stretched to over one year and four months. His plea is pending before the President of India.

Rajoana, a sympathizer of the Babbar Khalsa militant group, was sentenced to death for his role in the murder of Beant Singh, who was killed in a bomb explosion in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. His appeal for commutation is based on the extraordinary delay in addressing his mercy petition. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Rajoana, urged the court for his temporary release, citing that Rajoana has already served almost 29 years in jail, including 17 years on death row in solitary confinement.

Rajoana has asked for the reduction of his death sentence to life imprisonment, arguing that he has already served a considerable portion of his sentence, and any further delay in deciding his mercy petition would be unjust. According to Rajoana’s legal team, he has spent 28 years and 8 months in prison, including 17 years in a cramped 8″ x 10″ death-row cell. The plea also emphasized that the convict had been subjected to 2.5 years of solitary confinement.

The Centre had made a significant decision in September 2019 to commute Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment, marking the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. However, the decision has not been implemented. In 2020, Rajoana filed a petition seeking commutation of the death penalty, and the Supreme Court had directed the government to decide on the mercy petition.

In May 2024, the top court had rejected Rajoana’s plea for commutation but had also ordered that the mercy petition be decided by a competent authority within a reasonable period. The court acknowledged the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) position to defer the decision, citing national security and law-and-order concerns.

Balwant Singh Rajoana was sentenced to death by a Chandigarh court on July 27, 2007, for his role in the assassination of Beant Singh. The sentence was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on October 12, 2010. Rajoana did not file an appeal against the High Court’s decision.

Initially, Rajoana was scheduled to be hanged on March 31, 2012. However, the execution was stayed on March 28, 2012, by the Central government after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), a Sikh religious body, filed a mercy petition with the President of India.

The case surrounding Rajoana’s death sentence has been a subject of much debate and controversy. As the Supreme Court now sets a definitive deadline for the Centre to make a decision, the matter remains at the forefront of public discourse, highlighting the complex intersection of justice, national security, and human rights.

Conclusion:

With the Supreme Court granting the Centre one final opportunity to decide on Rajoana’s mercy petition by March 18, the case remains pivotal in the ongoing debate over the commutation of death sentences, particularly in high-profile cases involving political figures. Rajoana’s fate now hinges on the government’s decision, which will have far-reaching implications for both the legal system and public opinion.