Murder of former Punjab CM Beant Singh: Convict Balwant Singh Rajoana thanks to President’s ‘mercy’ | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Secretary to the President of India to… request for mercy of a death row inmate Balwant Singh Rajoana in the murder case of former Punjab CM Beant Singh for President Droupadi Murmu for consideration. This happened after no one had appeared at the hearing on behalf of Centrum.
The Supreme Court has asked that the plea be heard by the President within two weeks.
Earlier this month, SC had asked the Center to act on Rajoana’s mercy plea, who has been in jail for 29 years.
Noting that the government must show ‘compassion’ while considering mercy pleas, the court had earlier directed the Center to take a quick decision on Rajoana’s mercy plea.
Rajoana was sentenced to death by a court in 2007, but unlike other convicts, he chose not to challenge his conviction in the Supreme Court or the Supreme Court. A plea for commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment, filed by an organization, has been awaiting a decision for almost 12 years.
On September 27, 2019, the Home Ministry wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, proposing special remission and release of certain prisoners on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, including Rajoana’s name. However, his name was not reported due to his co-accused’s ongoing appeals at the Supreme Court.