SC puts on hold order to Prez Secy on Rajoana’s mercy petition in Beant case

Hours after directing the Secretary to the President to place the mercy petition of Beant Singh assassination case convict Balwant Singh Rajoana before the President with a request to consider it within two weeks, the Supreme Court on Monday chose to put on hold its order at the request of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Mehta, who was not present before a special three-judge Bench led by Justice BR Gavai at 10.30 am when the matter was heard, urged the Bench that the order should not be signed, uploaded and given effect to, saying there were “sensitivities” involved and the file was with the Ministry of Home Affairs; and not with the President. He urged the Bench to take up the matter on Friday.

The Bench, which also included Justice PK Mishra and Justice KV Viswanathan, however, posted it for hearing on November 25.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had at a 10.30 am directed the Secretary to the President to place the Rajaona’s mercy petition seeking to commute his death penalty to life imprisonment before the President with a request to consider it within two weeks.

If the mercy petition was not decided within two weeks, it will consider Rajoana’s prayer for interim relief i.e. releasing him for a few months, pending a final decision on his mercy petition, it had said.

Convicted of assassinating Beant Singh in 1995, Rajoana (57), a former Punjab Police constable, has been in jail for over 28 years, awaiting his execution. The former Punjab CM and 16 others were killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. Rajoana was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court. His mercy petition has been hanging fire for more than 12 years.