In a landmark judgement, the Supreme court on Tuesday said the government cannot keep mercy petitions pending for years and commuted death penalty of 15 convicts due to delay, mental illness.
The court further said delay in deciding mercy plea is a relevant ground for commuting death sentence to life imprisonment.
Apex court added death sentence of a condemned prisoner cannot be executed if he is suffering from mental illness and schizophrenia and must be commuted to life imprisonment. Legal aid should be provided inside jail to the condemned prisoners.
Maintaining that solitary confinement of a death convict and other prisoners is unconstitutional, the court also said that a death convict must be hanged within 14 days after dismissal of his mercy petition.
The court also said the death convict and his family members must be informed after his mercy plea is rejected by the President or Governor. It is to be noted that punishment of death penalty of 15 accused has been converted to life imprisonment.