Supreme Court to Hear Balwant Singh Rajoana's Final Plea for Clemency

The Supreme Court will hear Balwant Singh Rajoana's plea on March 18, seeking to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment. Convicted in a 1995 assassination case, Rajoana has been on death row for over 15 years. His plea highlights delays in deciding his mercy petition.

The Supreme Court announced it will hear the plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana on March 18, concerning the commutation of his death sentence. Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination of Punjab's Chief Minister Beant Singh, argues for clemency due to the prolonged delay in the consideration of his mercy petition.

Rajoana has spent over 29 years in prison, 15 of which as a death row inmate. The delay in the resolution of his mercy plea has prompted his legal team to approach the court, as they refer to previous court orders that advised timely decisions on such petitions.

The government has been asked to respond to the petition, taking into account the sensitive nature of the case. As the hearing date approaches, all eyes are on the Supreme Court's handling of this prolonged legal matter, which remains a significant point of debate in discussions on capital punishment.