Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Mercy Plea of Swamy Shraddananda After Summer Vacation
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear after the summer vacation a petition filed by Swamy Shraddananda also known as Murali Manohar Mishra, who has spent over 31 years in prison, seeking directions to the President of India for consideration of his pending mercy petition.
The Bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih was hearing the matter.
Advocate Varun Thakur appeared on behalf of the petitioner, while Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj represented the Union of India.
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.
Pleading for urgency, Advocate Thakur submitted, “This is a serious case, with serious illness. He is in jail for 31 years.”
Justice Gavai, however, noted the gravity of the original offence: “Serious case, serious allegations. List after vacations.”
Upon Thakur’s request, the Bench clarified that the matter would be listed upon reopening of the Court.
Previously
Pertinently, 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.