New Delhi: The fate of three death row convicts in former PM Rajiv Gandhi's assassination case will be sealed today when the Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on their plea for commutation of their sentence to life imprisonment on ground of delay in deciding their mercy plea.
The judgement will be delivered by a bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam. The bench had reserved its verdict on the plea of three convicts -- Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan -- on February 4.
Their plea was strongly opposed by Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati, who argued that it was not a fit case for the top court since there was "not a word of remorse" in the convicts' petition for mercy.
"They were leading a disciplined life, entertaining and educating inmates, so there is no agony, torture or dehumanizing effect due to delay," he had said.
The lawyer for the convicts countered the argument by saying that "agony and torture need not be physical injuries."
Last month, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict that places new restrictions on executing prisoners. The top court commuted the death sentences of 15 convicts on January 21, announcing that "inordinate and inexplicable" delays in carrying out executions were grounds for reducing their original punishment.
The three men whose fate would be decided today were convicted in 1998 for Mr Gandhi's assassination in 1991. Their mercy petition was sent to the President of India, the last stage in the process of appeals, in 2000 and was rejected 11 years later. Their hanging was stayed in 2011 on the orders of the Madras High Court.
In 2012, the Supreme Court took up the petitions of the three convicts on the ground that a fair hearing would not be possible in Tamil Nadu due to the surcharged atmosphere in favour of the convicts.
The judgement will be delivered by a bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam. The bench had reserved its verdict on the plea of three convicts -- Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan -- on February 4.
Their plea was strongly opposed by Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati, who argued that it was not a fit case for the top court since there was "not a word of remorse" in the convicts' petition for mercy.
The lawyer for the convicts countered the argument by saying that "agony and torture need not be physical injuries."
Advertisement
The three men whose fate would be decided today were convicted in 1998 for Mr Gandhi's assassination in 1991. Their mercy petition was sent to the President of India, the last stage in the process of appeals, in 2000 and was rejected 11 years later. Their hanging was stayed in 2011 on the orders of the Madras High Court.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Publish NEET-UG Results City-Wise And Centre-Wise, Supreme Court Tells NTA "GPS, 7-Layer Security": Exam Body's Defence In Supreme Court NEET Case "Re-Exam Only On Concrete Footing": Supreme Court On NEET-UG Row World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage 1 Passenger Dies As Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express Derails In UP Puja Khedkar's Mother Was Hiding In Lodge As "Indubai" Using Fake ID Udayanidhi Stalin Could Be Elevated As Deputy Chief Minister, Say Sources Biden Cancels Another $1.2 Billion In Student Debt As Vote Nears QS Executive MBA Rankings 2024: Top Universities For EMBA In Europe Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.