New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing terror attack convict Devender Pal Singh Bhullar's death penalty. "The government is opposed to giving death penalty to Bhullar as he is suffering from mental illness," the affidavit read.
The Delhi government added that the judgement given by the apex court on January 21, 2014 commuting death penalty of 15 convicts applies to Bhullar as well.
Bhullar was sentenced to death by a trial court on August 25, 2001 for plotting terror attacks on Punjab Senior Superintendent of Police Sumedh Singh Saini in 1991 and Youth Congress leader MS Bitta in 1993, in which nine people were killed.
The Supreme Court had commuted death penalty of 15 convicts on the grounds of inordinate and inexplicable delay and mental illness in deciding the mercy plea of the convicts.
While the death penalty of 13 convicts had been commuted to life on the ground of inordinate delay on part of the President to decide their mercy pleas, two others were given life sentence after they became mentally ill after several years on death row. Over 20 death row convicts had approached the Supreme Court seeking an authoritative ruling on the matter.
The apex court had said schizophrenia, insanity and mental illness can be reasons for commuting death penalty and the convicts should be given adequate medical treatment and legal aid. The order also said that solitary confinement of a death row convict and other prisoners is unconstitutional.
The court had also ruled that a death row convict must be hanged within 14 days after dismissal of his/ her mercy petition.
Ruling that death row convicts and their families must be informed after their mercy plea is rejected by the President or the Governor, the apex court said, "Once the mercy plea has been rejected, it should be communicated in writing."
The Delhi government added that the judgement given by the apex court on January 21, 2014 commuting death penalty of 15 convicts applies to Bhullar as well.
Bhullar was sentenced to death by a trial court on August 25, 2001 for plotting terror attacks on Punjab Senior Superintendent of Police Sumedh Singh Saini in 1991 and Youth Congress leader MS Bitta in 1993, in which nine people were killed.
The Supreme Court had commuted death penalty of 15 convicts on the grounds of inordinate and inexplicable delay and mental illness in deciding the mercy plea of the convicts.
While the death penalty of 13 convicts had been commuted to life on the ground of inordinate delay on part of the President to decide their mercy pleas, two others were given life sentence after they became mentally ill after several years on death row. Over 20 death row convicts had approached the Supreme Court seeking an authoritative ruling on the matter.
The apex court had said schizophrenia, insanity and mental illness can be reasons for commuting death penalty and the convicts should be given adequate medical treatment and legal aid. The order also said that solitary confinement of a death row convict and other prisoners is unconstitutional.
The court had also ruled that a death row convict must be hanged within 14 days after dismissal of his/ her mercy petition.
Ruling that death row convicts and their families must be informed after their mercy plea is rejected by the President or the Governor, the apex court said, "Once the mercy plea has been rejected, it should be communicated in writing."
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