Beant Singh assassination case: SC orders listing of plea of death-row convict

The Supreme Court Monday directed its registry to list before a bench headed by Justice U U Lalit the plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination case of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday directed its registry to list before a bench headed by Justice U U Lalit the plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination case of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, seeking commutation of his death penalty into life imprisonment. A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Rajona, that his plea has not come up for hearing for the last six-seven months and, he is in jail for the last 25 years.

Rohatgi sought urgent listing Rajona's plea before an appropriate bench which was allowed. Upon being mentioned by Mukul Rohatgi, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner, we direct the Registry to list the matter before a Bench comprising Hon'ble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, said the bench, also comprising justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli. Earlier, the top court had questioned the Centre over the delay in sending a proposal to the President for commuting the death sentence of Rajoana.

It had asked the government to apprise it as to when the authorities concerned will send the proposal to the President under Article 72 of the Constitution. The article deals with the power of the President to grant pardon, suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases. Rajoana, a former Punjab Police constable, was convicted for his involvement in an explosion outside the Punjab civil secretariat that killed Beant Singh and 16 others on August 31, 1995.

The top court has been hearing Rajoana's plea seeking commutation of death sentence to life term on the ground that he has been in jail for 25 years. A special court had in July 2007 awarded the death sentence to Rajoana in the case.

PTI