Amritsar: The Supreme Court will hear on October 28 the plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment in connection with the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
The Centre has opposed Rajoana’s plea, telling the Supreme Court that, considering the prevailing circumstances in Punjab, it would not be appropriate to take a decision at this stage to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment.
After hearing the Centre’s position, the Supreme Court said it would now consider Rajoana’s plea on its merits. The matter was posted for further hearing on October 28.
Rajoana, who is lodged in Patiala Central Jail, has argued that his mercy petition has remained pending before the President since 2012. His legal team has sought commutation of the death sentence, citing the prolonged delay in deciding the mercy plea.
Centre Opposes Commutation Citing Punjab Situation
Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, told the Supreme Court that the government was opposed to the request to commute Rajoana’s death sentence.
The Centre has maintained that the prevailing situation in Punjab is a factor in deciding the matter and that taking a decision on commutation at this stage would not be conducive.
The latest stand follows the Centre’s earlier position that the matter could have implications for national security and law and order. In 2022, the government had told the Supreme Court that it had decided to defer a decision on the mercy plea after considering inputs from various agencies.
Beant Singh Assassination Case
Rajoana was convicted for his role in the August 31, 1995 assassination of then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
Beant Singh and 12 others were killed in a suicide bombing at the Punjab Civil Secretariat complex in Chandigarh. Rajoana, then a Punjab Police constable, was convicted for his role in the conspiracy and attack.
According to the prosecution case, Dilawar Singh Babbar was the suicide bomber who carried out the attack. Rajoana was described as the backup bomber and was prepared to carry out the attack if Dilawar Singh failed.
Rajoana was arrested in December 1995. During the trial, he confessed to his involvement and did not seek legal representation. He also did not file an appeal against the death sentence awarded to him.
Death Sentence in 2007, High Court Upholds It
A special CBI court in Chandigarh sentenced Rajoana to death in 2007 for his role in the assassination case.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court later upheld his death sentence. His execution was subsequently scheduled for March 31, 2012.
However, the execution was stayed after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) filed a mercy petition on his behalf before the President on March 25, 2012.
Rajoana himself had not filed the mercy petition. Supreme Court records have noted that the petition was filed by the SGPC on his behalf under Article 72 of the Constitution.
Mercy Petition Pending Since 2012
The long pendency of the mercy petition has been at the centre of Rajoana’s legal battle.
In September 2019, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs wrote to several state governments proposing special remission for certain prisoners in connection with the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The proposal included consideration of commuting Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment.
However, the proposal was never formally implemented.
Rajoana subsequently approached the Supreme Court, seeking a decision on his mercy petition and commutation of his death sentence.
Supreme Court Proceedings Since 2020
In 2020, Rajoana approached the Supreme Court over the delay in deciding the mercy petition. The Court directed the authorities to consider the matter.
The Supreme Court again issued directions in 2022 after the Centre had not taken a final decision. The government later informed the Court that it had decided to defer consideration of the mercy petition, citing concerns relating to national security and the possibility of a law-and-order situation.
On May 3, 2023, a three-judge Supreme Court Bench declined to commute Rajoana’s death sentence on the ground of the delay. The Court left it to the competent authority to deal with the mercy petition and take a decision at an appropriate time.
Fresh Plea Brings Case Back Before Supreme Court
Rajoana later filed a fresh petition seeking commutation of his death sentence.
In April 2026, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to file its response to his plea. The Court sought the government’s position on his request for commutation, which was based largely on the prolonged pendency of the mercy petition.
On September 23, 2026, Rajoana’s counsel told the Supreme Court that the plea was being pressed specifically for commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment. The Centre was granted time to examine the issue and respond.
The Centre has now opposed the commutation, leading the Supreme Court to schedule the matter for a hearing on merits on October 28.
Rajoana Has Spent Decades in Jail
Rajoana has been in prison since his arrest in December 1995 and has spent many years on death row.
His legal team has argued that the prolonged delay in deciding the mercy petition amounts to an infringement of his rights and is a ground for commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment.
The Centre, however, has opposed the plea, maintaining that the circumstances surrounding the case and the situation in Punjab need to be considered.
The Supreme Court’s October 28 hearing will therefore focus on Rajoana’s request for commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment and the competing arguments before the Court.