Delhi Govt likely to call meet to review Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar’s plea

The Delhi Government is expected to convene a meeting of the Sentence Review Board (SRB) later this week, with several long-pending cases, including that of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, likely to be taken up, sources said on Tuesday.

Bhullar, convicted in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast, which killed nine persons and injured several others, has been in prison for over three decades. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court in 2014, citing inordinate delay in deciding his mercy plea.

Rajya Sabha member Dr Vikramjit Singh Sahney has once again appealed to the Delhi Government to urgently hold the SRB meeting and review Bhullar’s case for early release. He urged CM Rekha Gupta to “uphold the spirit of justice” by convening the meeting before Gurpurb on November 5, noting that Bhullar “has completed over 30 years in imprisonment and deserves a fair review as per the Supreme Court’s directions”.

Dr Sahney said the Delhi Government had recommended Bhullar’s release during the last SRB meeting on December 21, 2023, but the proposal was rejected by a 6:1 vote. He added that Bhullar’s prolonged incarceration and deteriorating health merit immediate consideration.

He also sought parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara to visit his ailing mother, noting that similar paroles have been granted to other inmates in the past.

Meanwhile, former Rajya Sabha member and ex-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Tarlochan Singh has written to CM Rekha Gupta urging her to convene the SRB meeting without delay and ensure long-pending justice to Bhullar.

Bhullar was convicted by a designated TADA court on August 25, 2001, for the 1993 car bomb attack that targeted then Indian Youth Congress chief MS Bitta. The explosion killed nine and injured more than 20 persons, including Bitta himself.