Apex Court stays Bhullar’s execution

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the execution of 1993 Delhi bomb blast death row convict Devender Pal Singh Bhullar.

The apex court has agreed to review its judgment on Bhullar's plea to commute his death sentence to life term.

The court has also issued notice to Centre and the Delhi government on Bhullar's wife's plea for commuting his death sentence and has directed the hospital where Bhullar is being treated to file a report on the condition of the convict within a week.

Bhullar was convicted of and awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast in New Delhi in September 1993, which killed nine persons and injured 25 others, including the then Youth Congress president M.S. Bitta.

The apex court on March 26, 2002 dismissed Bhullar’s appeal against the death sentence awarded by a trial court in August 2001 and endorsed by the Delhi High Court in 2002.

He filed a review petition which was dismissed on December 17, 2002. Bhullar then moved a curative petition which too was rejected by the apex court on March 12, 2003.

Bhullar, meanwhile, filed a mercy petition before the President on January 14, 2003.

The President dismissed his mercy plea eight years later on May 14, 2011. Citing the delay, he had again moved the apex court for commutation of the death sentence but his plea was rejected.

The apex court on January 21 had held that inordinate delay by government in deciding mercy plea of death row convicts can be a ground for commuting their sentence and had granted life to 15 condemned prisoners including four aides of forest brigand Veerappan.

In a landmark judgement, the court had held that prolonging execution of death sentence has a “dehumanizing effect” on condemned prisoners who have to face the “agony” of waiting for years under the shadow of death during the pendency of their mercy plea.