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Earlier, the Centre had informed the Top Court that Rajoana had on record said that he has no faith in the Indian judiciary and the Constitution, but the Court refused to regard them as relevant factors for a mercy plea.
The Supreme Court today sought the Central Governments' response on the mercy petition filed by death-row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana who had been held guilty in the former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh assassination case.
A Chief Justice of India UU Lalit led bench asked the Centre to submit its decision within one day. Court ordered that an affidavit be filed by a responsible officer by tomorrow.
“We can’t force you to take what decision…but you have to take one”, remarked the Court.
Earlier in May this year, Court had directed the Centre to take a decision in two months without being influenced by pending appeals of other convicts in the case.
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.
Sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court, Rajoana's mercy petition has been pending for more than eight years.
Today, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj sought an adjournment before Court, but the bench, also comprising Justices Bhat and Pardiwala, said that a considerable amount of time had passed since its order for consideration.
The matter will now be taken up on Friday.
Case Title: Balwant Singh vs. Union of India and Ors.
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