The Center has said in the Supreme Court that the petition of Balwant Rajoana, accused of killing the former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, is under consideration by the President. The Center has asked for 6 weeks to decide on this. Rajoana was found guilty of involvement in the bomb blast and was sentenced to death.
New Delhi: The Center told the Supreme Court on Friday that the petition filed to change the death sentence of Balwant Rajoana, convicted in the murder of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, is under consideration before President Ram Nath Kovind and he will take a decision on it .
Solicitor Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Center on a bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian, said that Rajoana killed the former Chief Minister for the demand of separate state ‘Khalistan’ for Sikhs. Mehta told the bench, “The process has started and the President will take a decision on it.” This is the case in which the accused is accused of killing the former Chief Minister on the issue of Khalistan. “He said that the Center should be given six weeks time in the existing circumstances.
Six weeks time
Accepting Mehta’s request, the bench adjourned the hearing for six weeks. On January 25, the apex court gave the Center two weeks’ time to decide on the petition filed to change Rajoana’s death sentence.
Rajoana is guilty of bomb blast
During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Rajoana, had said, “This person (Rajoana) has been imprisoned for the last 25 years and his mercy petition has been pending for the last nine years.” “It is worth mentioning that Rajoana is a former constable of Punjab Police and has been convicted for involvement in the blast before the Punjab Secretariat in 1995, in which Beant Singh and 16 other people were killed.”
First, the time was given to take decision till 26 January
On January 8, the apex court had asked the Center to take a decision by January 26 on the plea to change Rajoana’s death sentence. The court had asked the Center to complete the process before January 26, giving two-three weeks time. The court said that 26 January is a good day and it would be appropriate if the government decides before that
Rajoana’s lawyer had argued that his client’s mercy petition was pending since 2012. At the same time, the top court has said that if the death penalty of a person is delayed more than eight years, then his sentence can be changed.
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