Supreme Court Questions Delay in Mercy Plea of Babbar Khalsa Convict Balwant Singh Rajoana
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday sharply questioned the Centre’s delay in deciding the long-pending mercy plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a Babbar Khalsa terrorist sentenced to death for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
During the hearing, Justice Sandeep Mehta, part of a three-judge bench alongside Justices Vikram Nath and N V Anjaria, asked the Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj representing the Centre, “Why hasn’t he been executed till now?
Who is responsible for this delay? We presume there has been no stay on his execution.” The bench made it clear that the matter would be heard again on October 15, 2025, emphasising that it would not be adjourned at the instance of the respondents.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Rajoana, highlighted that the convict has spent over 29 years in jail, with 15 years on death row.
He reminded the court that on January 20, 2024, the Supreme Court had granted the Centre one final opportunity to decide Rajoana’s mercy petition, failing which the court would step in to decide.
Rohatgi strongly argued against further delays, stating, “There cannot be a premium on postponement. He is also a human being and an Indian citizen, entitled to equal application of the law. Every time the Centre promises to decide, it evades the matter, citing inappropriate timing.”
During the proceedings, when the bench inquired about the nature of Rajoana’s crime, Natarajemphasised the gravity, saying: “A sitting Chief Minister was assassinated, and the incident triggered widespread riots across the state.
This is a serious offence.” To this, Rohatgi countered, “Then the law should have taken its course. Execution is what the law prescribes.”
Background of the Case
Balwant Singh Rajoana was convicted for the assassination of Beant Singh and 12 others on August 31, 1995, and sentenced to death in 2007 by a special CBI court. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) filed a mercy petition on his behalf in March 2012.
In September 2019, the Home Ministry proposed commuting Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment in recognition of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, but the proposal was never implemented.
Subsequently, in September 2020, Rajoana approached the Supreme Court, urging immediate disposal of his mercy plea.
The government later filed an affidavit stating that it had deferred taking any decision, citing concerns that granting mercy could potentially compromise national security or trigger law-and-order challenges. On May 3, 2023, the Supreme Court rejected Rajoana’s plea, leaving the decision to the Centre at an “appropriate time.”
Rajoana has now filed a fresh plea, reigniting debate over the prolonged delay in executing justice in one of India’s most high-profile cases.
The Supreme Court’s stern questioning signals its impatience with bureaucratic inertia, underscoring the importance of the timely resolution of mercy petitions, even in matters involving high-profile convicts.
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