Beant Singh Assassination Case: Supreme Court To Take Up Rajoana’s Commutation Plea On March 18

Rajoana has remained incarcerated for more than 29 years, including over 15 years on death row.

The bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria took note of submissions made by counsel appearing for the Centre, who sought time in the matter.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Rajoana, opposed any further adjournment and referred to a Supreme Court order dated September 24, 2025, which had made it clear that no additional adjournments at the instance of the respondents would be entertained.

“List on March 18,” the bench said.

The apex court had earlier directed the Union government to take a decision on Rajoana’s mercy petition. The Centre, however, had cited the “sensitivity” of the matter and informed the court that the petition was still under consideration.

In September 2024, the Supreme Court had sought responses from the Union government, the Punjab government and the administration of the Union Territory of Chandigarh on Rajoana’s plea.

Beant Singh and 16 others were killed in a bomb blast at the entrance of the civil secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. A special court sentenced Rajoana to death in July 2007.

Rajoana’s plea sought directions for his release, relying on the extraordinary delay in deciding his mercy petition. On May 3, 2023, however, the Supreme Court had declined to commute his death sentence, observing that the competent authority was free to decide the mercy plea in accordance with law.

In his fresh plea, Rajoana highlighted that he had undergone nearly 28.8 years of imprisonment, including more than 15 years as a death row convict. He pointed out that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee had submitted a mercy petition under Article 72 of the Constitution in March 2012 seeking clemency on his behalf.

The plea stated that more than a year had elapsed since the Supreme Court directed the competent authority to consider the mercy petition “in due course of time” and take a decision. It also relied on an April 2023 order of the apex court in a separate matter, where all states and appropriate authorities were directed to decide pending mercy petitions expeditiously and without inordinate delay.

In January this year, Supreme Court had granted last chance to the central government to decide on Balwant Singh Rajoana's mercy plea. A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra, and KV Viswanathan, while granting additional time to the Centre, had observed, "....We will grant you time by way of a last chance. Either you decide, or we will hear the matter on merits..."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the centre had pressed for some more time considering the sensitivities involved in the matter. In November 2024, the Supreme Court had granted the Union government four weeks to decide the mercy petition filed by Rajoana, a death row convict.

Earlier, the apex court had also asked the President of India to consider Balwant Singh Rajoana, the accused in assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, mercy petition within two weeks' time. Noting that no response had come from the Union of India on the issue, Justice BR Gavai led bench had ordered, "Inspite of the matter being specifically kept today none appeared for Union of India. On the last date the matter was adjourned to enable the union to take instructions from the office of the President as to by when the mercy plea will be decided. As the petitioner is on a death row, we direct the Secretary to the President of India to place the matter before the President with a request to consider the same within two weeks from today."

Supreme Court had refused to grant any interim relief to Rajoana, who approached court with a fresh petition seeking to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment

In May 2023, Supreme Court had observed that the Central government may at a future date consider death-row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana's mercy petition while dismissing his plea to commute his death sentence. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Rajoana and told the court that he had served 27 years in jail and his mercy petition was filed in 2012 but still had not been decided.

In October 2022, when the matter was taken up by a bench of then CJI UU Lalit, Justice Bhat and Justice Trivedi, the court had noted that the appeals by the co-accused in the case were pending before the Supreme Court and suggested that Singh's plea be taken up with them.

Rajoana was convicted in 1995 and has been in jail awaiting his execution. Former Punjab CM Beant Singh and sixteen other people were killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh in 1995. After being sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court, Rajoana's mercy petition has been pending since 2012.

Case Title: Balwant Singh v. Union of India and Ors.

Bench: Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria

Hearing Date: February 18, 2026