NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Khalistan terrorist Devinderpal Singh Bhullar's mercy plea to commute death sentence to life term.
The apex court upheld his death sentence for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini and the then Youth Congress President M.S. Bitta in 1993, leading to several deaths in New Delhi.
Bhullar had earlier sought commutation of his death penalty to life sentence on the ground that he underwent great agony for 11 years awaiting the President's decision on his mercy plea.
The apex court, however, stated that delay in judgment cannot be a ground for converting death sentence to life sentence.
A bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya had earlier heard elaborate arguments on three petitions - one by Bhullar, second by his wife Navneet Kaur and third by NGO 'Justice on Trial Trust'.
The bench had reserved its verdict on April 19 last year.Bhullar was sentenced to death in 2001 for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini and the then Youth Congress President M.S. Bitta in 1993, leading to several deaths in New Delhi.
The apex court had on 26 March, 2002, dismissed Bhullar's appeal against the death sentence awarded by trial court and endorsed by the Delhi High Court.
He had filed a review petition, which was also dismissed on 17 December, 2002. Bhullar had then moved a curative petition, which too had been rejected, by the apex court on March 12, 2003.
Bhullar had filed a mercy petition before the President on 14 January, 2003. The President, however, rejected his mercy petition on May 25 last year, clearing the decks for his execution. (With inputs from the Agencies)
The apex court upheld his death sentence for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini and the then Youth Congress President M.S. Bitta in 1993, leading to several deaths in New Delhi.
Bhullar had earlier sought commutation of his death penalty to life sentence on the ground that he underwent great agony for 11 years awaiting the President's decision on his mercy plea.
The apex court, however, stated that delay in judgment cannot be a ground for converting death sentence to life sentence.
A bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya had earlier heard elaborate arguments on three petitions - one by Bhullar, second by his wife Navneet Kaur and third by NGO 'Justice on Trial Trust'.
The bench had reserved its verdict on April 19 last year.Bhullar was sentenced to death in 2001 for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini and the then Youth Congress President M.S. Bitta in 1993, leading to several deaths in New Delhi.
The apex court had on 26 March, 2002, dismissed Bhullar's appeal against the death sentence awarded by trial court and endorsed by the Delhi High Court.
He had filed a review petition, which was also dismissed on 17 December, 2002. Bhullar had then moved a curative petition, which too had been rejected, by the apex court on March 12, 2003.
Bhullar had filed a mercy petition before the President on 14 January, 2003. The President, however, rejected his mercy petition on May 25 last year, clearing the decks for his execution. (With inputs from the Agencies)
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