New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said a delay in deciding on mercy petitions justifies commuting a convict’s death sentence to life.
This means the death sentence of three men linked to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi will be commuted to life. Murugan, Arivu and Santhan’s mercy petitions are pending with the court.
Death row prisoner Devinder Singh Bhullar’s sentence will also be commuted to a life term.
“The government cannot keep mercy petitions pending for years,” the court said today.
The verdict will also impact four associates of Sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, who are convicted of killing 22 people in landmine blasts. Gnanaprakash, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran, who have been in a Karnataka jail since 2004, are the petitioners in today’s case.