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MHA commute death sentence of Rajaona
What’s in News
- Recently MHA took decision to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana (convicted over the assassination of then Punjab CM Beant Singh), as a “humanitarian gesture” ahead of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sikh Founder Guru Nanak.
More in News
- It also decided to release 8 other prisoners convicted for life for their involvement in Sikh militancy as a “token of goodwill”.
- The MHA has statutory powers to remit life sentences of prisoners under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
- Also the President commuted death sentences to life imprisonment in at least 20 cases over the past nine years to life imprisonment, based on the recommendations received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- These commutations were based on the Presidents exercise of powers under Article 72 of the constitution after the convicts filed mercy petitions.
- Also to be noted is that “Central Information Commision(CIC)”in a 2018 order had said that “grant of remission is an exercise of a statutory power under CrPC”. Therefore the executive needs due consideration of appropriate govt before granting remission to convicted person, as per CIC.
Source
The Hindu