Swamy Shraddananda seeks Mercy after 31 Years in Jail; Supreme Court lists plea after 12 Weeks

The Supreme Court on Thursday took up the plea of Swamy Shraddananda alias Murali Manohar Mishra, a convict serving life imprisonment till natural death for the 1991 murder of his wife, seeking directions to the President of India to consider his pending mercy petition.

Shraddananda is serving a sentence of life imprisonment till natural death for the 1991 murder of his wife, in a case where the Supreme Court had in 2008 commuted his death sentence, invoking the "rarest of rare" doctrine and the need for a punishment harsher than life imprisonment yet short of death.

The Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran posted the matter for hearing after 12 weeks.

Appearing for Shraddananda, Advocate Varun Thakur submitted that the petitioner, now 85 years old and ailing, had already spent over 31 years in prison without a single day of parole.

“I have one mother. I am no terrorist, My Lord. I was convicted only on the basis of a judicial confession,” he said, adding that he had also spent seven years in the Cellular Jail.

However, the Bench expressed concern over the brutality of the offence. “Look at the case, what about the lady you murdered and buried in her own house?” CJI Gavai remarked, referring to the crime that shook public conscience and led to Shraddananda's death sentence in 2005, later commuted by the Supreme Court in 2008.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) KM Nataraj appeared for the Union of India.

The Court will now take up the matter after 12 weeks, giving time for the Centre to respond to the plea for presidential mercy.

Notably, on May 13, the CJI had remarked, "Serious case, serious allegations. List after vacations.” On January 24, the Supreme Court had sought the Central Government's response on the mercy plea. On January 24, the Supreme Court had sought the Central Government's response on the mercy plea.

Earlier, in September 2024, the Supreme Court had issued notice in the review petition filed by Swami Shraddhanand who is currently undergoing life imprisonment for the murder of his wife Shakereh Khaleeli.

In April 2023, the Supreme Court had denied parole to Swami Shraddhanand while allowing him to withdraw his writ petition which was in fact filed 10 years ago. The Court had then further clarified that the dismissal of the writ petition would not prejudice other remedies open to the self-styled godman. Shraddhanand had also filed an application last year seeking to stop circulation of web series Dancing On The Grave, which released on Amazon Prime video, submitting that it prejudiced his case pending before the Supreme Court.

In 1991, Shraddhanand had murdered Shakereh Khaleeli by drugging her and burying her alive in their own backyard. Her remains were discovered in 1994 and Swamy Shraddhanand was arrested for the crime. A Trial Court in Bengaluru convicted him for the murder and sentenced him to death in 2000. The Trial Court verdict was upheld by the Karnataka High Court in 2005. In an appeal, the Supreme Court, his conviction was upheld but his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by a 2008 judgment.

Case Title: Swamy Shraddananda@ Murali Manohar Mishra v. UOI

Hearing Date: July 31, 2025

Bench: Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran

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