The Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted the death sentence of 15 death row convicts on grounds of delay in deciding their mercy plea and mental illness. The apex court said delay in deciding the mercy plea is a relevant ground for commuting death sentence to life imprisonment. It further said that death sentence of a condemned prisoner cannot be executed if he is suffering from mental illness and schizophrenia and must be commuted to life sentence. It also said that solitary confinement of a death convict and other prisoners is unconstitutional, and added that a death convict and his family members must be informed after his mercy plea is rejected by the president or governor. A death convict must be hanged within 14 days after dismissal of his mercy petition, the apex court ruled. The death sentence of four aides of forest brigand Veerappan was commuted to life term by the Supreme Court on grounds of delay in deciding their mercy plea by the Tamil Nadu governor. According to TV reports, the death sentence of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi”s assassins will also be commuted to life term after this ruling. (ANI with inputs)
