With questions being raised over the delay in clearing the mercy petition file of death row convict Afzal Guru, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday said it took longer time to take a decision on the issue because of its sensitive nature.
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Friday the Centre's appeal challenging the Delhi high court's verdict dismissing its plea against stay on the execution of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case.
Over 100,000 Indians, including former test cricketers and chief justices, have signed a mercy petition addressed to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari seeking clemency for Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in a Pakistani prison.
Giving a ray of hope to the family of Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in Pakistan, his lawyer on Monday said there is fresh evidence to prove his innocence in 1990 Lahore and Multan blasts case and he has filed a fresh mercy petition.
Family members of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national on death row in a Pakistani prison, on Saturday met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray. Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur, her husband Baldev Singh and Sarabjit's daughter Swapandeep Kaur met Raj at his residence in central Mumbai.Describing their plight to Raj, Dalbir alleged that the government was not making the required efforts to seek Sarabjit's release.
A team of prison officials performed the dummy execution on Sunday. The officials recorded the weights of the convicts and the prepared the dummies accordingly with sacks filled with debris and stones, a senior jail official said. The execution will take place on in Jail No 3, he said, adding that the UP Prison authority has confirmed that Pawan Jallad from Meerut will be sent to hang the four convicts.
The family of Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row and lodged in a Pakistani jail since 1991, will move the International Court of Justice for his release.
Mehta told Justice Suresh Kait that convict Pawan Gupta's move of not filing a curative or a mercy petition is a deliberate, calculated inaction.
Vardhan emphasised on how the Indian traditional system of medicine has also contributed substantially in boosting the immunity of general population during COVID-19.
Eyebrows were raised when the four men, including main accused Vishal Rana, were seated at Yogi's rally, cheering for the UP CM at a rally held in Greater Noida's Bisada village.
After Kashmir Singh, leading Pakistani rights activist Ansar Burney has found another Indian on death row, Karpal Singh, languishing in a jail in Punjab province since 1992.
The Congress on Friday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari over his comments about Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, saying he had 'lost it'. "This is a very disgraceful statement. The country will decide whether such language will be used in polity. Coming from the president of a national party, it is unfortunate and nobody had thought about such degradation of public life," said Manish Tiwari.
Dawn News channel quoted unnamed sources as saying that the Interior Ministry had recommended that Sarabjit's death sentence should not be commuted to life imprisonment as such a pardon would 'encourage subversive activities by Indian terrorists'. Sarabjit is accused of triggering bomb blasts in Lahore in 1990 and has been languishing in Pakistan prisons for nearly two decades.
Earlier, Sarabjit's lawyer, Awais Sheikh, had stated in the court that he was not allowed to meet his client despite court orders. He had also filed a petition against the interior secretary of Punjab and superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail.
Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in a Pakistani jail, appears to be a case of mistaken identity, former Pakistani minister and United Nations Human Rights Council advisory committee member Ansar Burney said in Chandigarh on Friday.After collecting evidence in the shape of a video CD and copy of an FIR from the family members of Sarabjit, Burney said, "Prima facie it appears to be a case of mistaken identity.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf may accept New Delhi's request of clemency on humanitarian grounds for Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national on death row for carrying out multiple bomb explosions in the Islamic nation's Punjab province, in which 14 people were killed in 1990. A Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) official said the President could consider pardoning Singh. "If that happens, it will be purely on humanitarian grounds," the Nation quoted him as saying.
By keeping the Sanatana Dharma row alive and adding the Ayodhya temple consecration scheduled for January 22 and adding the free darshan promise from four polled states to the entire country, the BJP may have a self-fulfilling concoction, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
Pakistani Law Minister Farooq Naek on Monday met Indian death-row prisoner Sarabjit Singh at the Lahore's Kot Lakhpath Jail to review his case following the Indian government's appeal for clemency for him.
Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana issued notice to Tihar Jail authorities on the pleas moved of Akshay Singh and Pawan Kumar Gupta, directing the officials to file their response by March 2.
Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru cannot be hanged till other mercy petitions pending before his are disposed of, feels the government.
The petition sought recording of calls, documents and reports by an investigating agency like CBI and to declare that the convict has legal and constitutional rights to approach any court at any time even in the last minute of hanging.
Check out the timeline in the Delhi gang rape case which shocked the nation's conscience.
Sources said if the mercy petition is not filed, the prison authorities approach the court, which will issue a death warrant.
Moni Chadha was with Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent. He counters colourful conspiracy theories with sobering facts.
Burney, who was the human rights minister in the interim government in Pakistan, was deported back from the Indira Gandhi International Airport by an Emirates Airways flight at Airways flight at around 2030 hours because of a "look-out" notice against him, they said. It was, however, not immediately clear who had issued the notice against him and in what connection.
Thennarasu said that while the governor had to grant his approval to the bill, he informed them it was still under his consideration.
India has taken all steps that are essential to secure the release of Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told a delegation of leaders from Punjab. "A delegation of leaders from Punjab met the Prime Minister. The issue of Sarabjit Singh was prominently raised by the delegation and they apprised him of the unanimous resolution passed by the Assembly for his release," AICC spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters.
Stating that the change of government in the neighbouring country had strengthened their hope for the release of Sarbajit, Sarabjit Singh's sister Dalbir Kaur said she would go to the Pakistan High Commission to apply for the visas immediately after obtaining the passports.
He also said a total of Rs 38.75 crore, deposited by people in the Karavannur Cooperative bank in this district, which is now facing charges, had already been returned.
The Centre on Tuesday opposed in the Supreme Court the plea of convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case seeking the commutation of their death sentences to life imprisonment.
A staunch supporter of slain LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran, he also criticised the former prime minister for sending the Indian Peacekeeping Force to Sri Lanka in the 1980s.
Anand Mohan, Arun Kumar and Akhlaq Ahmed had filed petitions in the High Court because of denial of basic amenities and permission to meet close relatives.
Contests in 13 seats would attract most attention during the Chhattisgarh assembly elections as they feature prominent leaders of the Congress and BJP.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Wednesday spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the row over killing of two fishermen allegedly by two Italian marines and agreed that the issue should be resolved amicably in accordance with law.
"The Indian side has been also making incongruous demands of allowing an Indian lawyer to represent Commander Jadhav. "We have repeatedly told them only those lawyers can represent Commander Jadhav in the court who have a licence to practise law in Pakistan. This is in accordance with legal practice in other jurisdictions also," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said.
The NCERT has dropped references to the demand for a separate Sikh nation of Khalistan from the class 12 political science textbook following objections from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), according to top education ministry officials.
The deportation of Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney from India could delay the release of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Lahore, Singh's sister said on Saturday and asked Indian politicians not to play "dirty politics".
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has indicated that his government would consider if Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh could be pardoned. He said Sarabjit's case was being reviewed by the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Law-Justice and Human Rights. Gilani added that he has advised President Pervez Musharraf to stop the execution of Sarabjit. Sarabjit, accused of terror attacks in Lahore in 1990, has been languishing in Pakistani prisons.
Kashmir Singh will be released from Lahore's Central Jail and taken by road to the Wagah border by Pakistan's caretaker human rights minister Ansar Burney, where he will be reunited with families and well-wishers.
Sarabjit's sister receives letter from him
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