SC grants Centre four weeks to decide on Balwant Singh Rajoana’s future

New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu):Balwant Singh Rajoana, sentenced to death in 2007 by a special CBI court for the August 31, 1995, assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and 12 others, has sought commutation of his death sentence. The Supreme Court on Monday deferred the hearing on his plea by four weeks, granting the Centre additional time to process the mercy petition filed on his behalf.

A Special Bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, P K Mishra, and K V Viswanathan adjourned the matter following a request by the Centre. Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, representing the government, described it as a sensitive issue requiring further inputs and consultations with other agencies. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta echoed the need for more deliberation. SC grants Centre four weeks to decide on Balwant Singh Rajoana’s futureThe Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee submitted the mercy petition for Rajoana in March 2012. In September 2019, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) proposed commuting his death sentence to life imprisonment to mark Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th birth anniversary, but the plan was not implemented.

In September 2020, Rajoana petitioned the Supreme Court, urging swift action on the long-pending mercy plea and the implementation of the MHA’s proposal. The Supreme Court directed the Centre to decide, but the government deferred its decision, citing concerns over national security and potential law and order issues. In May 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed Rajoana’s plea, leaving the matter to the Centre’s discretion. The former Punjab Police constable then filed a fresh plea, prompting the ongoing deliberations.