It is unlikely that Ajmal Kasab whose death sentence has been upheld by the Supreme Court in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, shall be hanged soon, legal experts say. He can still file a review petition before the Supreme Court for reconsideration of today’s verdict. Thereafter, Kasab can file a curative petition under Article 142 of the Constitution of India and finally he has the option of filing a mercy petition before the President. The President will forward the clemency petition to the Union Home Ministry and then the Union Home Ministry will examine the mercy petition and forward its recommendations to the President. However, there is no time limit for the President to dispose of a mercy petition. Killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Afzal Guru facing death sentence in Parliament attack case are yet to be hanged and unless and untill queue is jumped by the government, early hanging of Ajmal Kasab, who is the only surviving Pakistani terrorist in 26/11 terror attack case, is most unlikely. Date of hanging of both- the killers of Rajiv Gandhi as well as Afzal Guru – was fixed long time back but they could not be hanged for reasons best known to the government. The case of Devenderpal Singh Khullar who had killed nine security personnel in Delhi in 1991 and also seriously injured then All India Youth congress President Maninderjit Singh Bitta is already in the Supreme Court for commutation of his death sentence on the grounds of inordinate delay in his execution. Killers of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was killed in 1995, are also awaiting the date of their hanging.
It appears that the government would have to go a long way before justice is done to the victims of 26/11 terror attack in which 166 people were killed.
UNI