Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Mercy Plea of Swamy Shraddananda After Summer Vacation

Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Mercy Plea of Swamy Shraddananda After Summer Vacation
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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"

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.

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 [W.P. (Crl.) No. 5/2025; Diary No. 5622 /2024]

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