Chandigarh/ Punjab (August 18, 2013): After Supreme Court of India rejected the review petition against SCI’s April 12, 2013 decision clearing execution of Sikh political prisoner Professor Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar’s execution, Hindu organization Shiv Sena has demanded immediate hanging of Prof. Bhullar. While hailing the Supreme Court of India’s verdict, Shiv Sena said immediate execution of Prof. Bhullar will convey a strong message.
Prof. DPS Bhullar, a Sikh political activist, was sentenced to death under infamous TADA law by Indian courts. It is notable that even Indian judiciary was split over his conviction as Presiding judge of three judges SCI bench had acquitted him in appeal (in 2002) but the other two judges had confirmed his death sentence.
Set norms of the law were clearly violated in this case, as the judges opened that this case was to be taken as an ‘extraordinary manner’.
As per information Avtar Singh Makkar, President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has urged the government of India to review the issue keeping in mind the emotions of Sikh community.
It is notable that a TADA court had convicted Sikh political prisoner Prof. Devender Pal Singh Bhullar in a 1993 blast case in a highly controversial and contested manner in 2001. The Supreme court of India judges were split over the guilt of Prof. Bhullar. Justice M. B. Shah, the presiding judge of the three judges bench of SCI acquitted Prof. Bhullar while noting the absence of incriminating evidence against Prof. Bhullar. But the other two judge of SCI bench had upheld his conviction and death sentence in March 2002. His review petition was dismissed in December 2002 and curative petition was dismissed in 2003. His petition under Article 72 remained pending before President of India from 2003 to 2011. In 2011 Prof. Bhullar’s wife approached the SCI seeking commutation of death sentence on the ground of inordinate delay in execution. When the SCI issued notice to Government of India asking it to explain the delay in deciding the petition, the government of India rejected the petition and informed SCI in this regard.
April 2013 the SCI rejected the clemency plea in this case but after few weeks a similar plea of another death row convict M. N. Das was entertained and his death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment.
Prof. Bhullar’s wife had filed a review of April 2013 decision of the SCI that was rejected on August 14, 2013.
Bhai Mandhir Singh of Akali Dal Panch Pardhani has commented that the SCI verdict has reaffirmed that Sikhs are slaves in India. He said Prof. DPS Bhullar’s case is political in nature and in this case India is commuting a political murder under the grab of judicial decisions.
Current status of the case is that Prof. Bhullar is in mental asylum since 2010. A medical board set up by Delhi government to examine his health, had affirmed that Prof. Bhullar was suffering from severe depression. In wake of this report his execution was temporarily suspended by Lt. Governor of Delhi, who had referred the matter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (Government of India). Now the matter is pending with MHA, GOI.