Death Sentence: Effect Of Delay In Disposal Of Mercy Petition

Hon'ble Apex Court vide its Judgment passed by full bench in matter 'Ajay Kumar Pal Vs. Union of India And Another¹' on 12.12.2014 has allowed the Writ Petition (Criminal) No.128 of 2014 with holding that if there is undue, unexplained and inordinate delay in execution due to pendency of mercy petitions or the executive as well as the constitutional authorities have failed to take note of/consider the relevant aspects, this Court is well within its powers under Article 32 to hear the grievance of the convict and commute the death sentence into life imprisonment on this ground alone however, only after satisfying that the delay was not caused at the instance of the accused himself.