The Supreme Court will hear Balwant Singh Rajoana’s petition to commute his death sentence on November 18. Convicted in the 1995 Beant Singh assassination case, Rajoana has waited 12 years for a decision on his mercy petition. His counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, argued that the delay has caused “unimaginable mental agony.” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the central government, stated that he will file a response before the hearing date.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PK Mishra, and KV Vishwanathan will preside over the case. Rajoana, a former Punjab Police constable, requests his sentence be changed to life imprisonment due to the prolonged wait. He argues that this delay violates his right to life under Article 21.
Balwant Singh Rajoana’s Long Wait as Death Row Convict Cited in Petition
The Supreme Court previously denied Rajoana’s appeal in May 2023, refusing to convert his death sentence to life imprisonment. In his new petition, he highlights that he has served 38 years and 8 months, with 17 years as a death row inmate. The petition also recalls the Supreme Court’s previous instruction for a prompt decision on his mercy plea, which remains pending.
Background on Beant Singh Assassination Case
On August 31, 1995, a bomb blast outside the Chandigarh Civil Secretariat killed then-Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and 16 others. A special court sentenced Balwant Singh Rajoana to death in July 2007. Born in 1967 in Punjab, Rajoana joined the Punjab Police in 1987. He was adopted by his friend Harpinder Singh’s family after the police killed Harpinder in 1993.
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