Supreme Court's order on the mercy petition of Beant Singh's killer, decision should be taken within 2 weeks.. otherwise…

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday issued some instructions to the secretary of the country's President Draupadi Murmu. The court has ordered that the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was awarded death sentence for the murder of the then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995, be placed before the President.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PK Mishra and KV Vishwanathan requested the President to consider the petition within two weeks. The bench of judges has said that despite today being specifically fixed for the hearing of the case, no one appeared on behalf of the Union of India. This bench was sitting only to hear this case.

Consider within 2 weeks

This bench of judges has said that the case was adjourned to an earlier date of hearing so that the Central Government could take instructions from the President's Office as to when the decision on the mercy petition would be taken. Keeping in mind that the petitioner is facing death sentence, we direct the Secretary to the President of India to place the matter before the President and request him to consider it within 2 weeks from today . He said that further hearing in the case would be held on December 5. On September 25, the Supreme Court had sought response from the Centre, Punjab government and the administration of Union Territory Chandigarh on Rajoana's petition.

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Death sentence was given in 2007

Rajoana was found guilty in the blast case outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. The then Chief Minister Beant Singh and about 16 other people were killed in this incident. A special court had sentenced Rajoana to death in July 2007.

Refused to convert to life imprisonment

Rajoana has said in his petition that in March 2012, the Shiromani Gurdwara Management Committee had filed a mercy petition on his behalf under Article 72 of the Constitution, requesting him to give up his life. On May 3 last year, the Supreme Court had refused to convert Rajoana's death sentence to life imprisonment.

(with agency input)