AMRITSAR SAHIB—The Supreme Court of India (SCI) today, has commuted the death penalty of three Tamil nationalists—Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan—convicted of murdering former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, to life imprisonment. SCI delivered the judgment after rejecting the Union Government’s view that an 11-year delay in deciding their mercy plea was not agony for them. The apex Court also ruled that if the Tamil Nadu government grants them remission, convicts can also be released.
While granting life to the three Tamil freedom fighters, a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam, said, “It is definitely not a pleasure for this court to interfere with the powers of the President. We implore upon the government to advise the President so that mercy petitions can be disposed of at the earliest.”
The court ruled out the Government’s view that the convicts did not deserve mercy. The Centre’s lawyer, Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati, had said there was “not a word of regret” in their plea for commutation of sentence and they were leading a good life. He said, “They were entertaining and educating family members, so there is no anguish, torture or dehumanizing effect on them due to delay.” The government had asked the convicts to show how the delay has affected their lives, but the court ruled that it there was no need of it.
Leaders of struggling nations of Indian sub continent including Sikhs have welcomed the decision of Indian apex court. In a statement, Sikh body Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh said, “At last, justice has been served as the case had been dragging in various courts for nearly one and a half decade. Centre and State should take one step forward and release them as they have been under detention since 1991.”
Kanwal Pal Singh mentioned that he hopes there will be a similar judgment in the Prof. Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar case giving reprieve to him too. The next hearing of Bhullar’s case is listed for Feb 19 in the apex court.
He made an appeal to the Indian judiciary and executive to turn towards abolition of the death penalty for all peoples, at all times for all crimes and join the rank of more than a 100 countries who have abolished capital punishment from the statute as well as in practice.
