Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka on Sunday declared to file a mercy petition for death row prisoner Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar before the President Pranab Mukherjee.
Phoolka, during his visit to the Golden Temple, said that SAD leadership approached him for filing mercy petition for the clemency of Bhullar. He said that petition, to be filed in a week’s time, after being prepared.
It may be mentioned that the Apex Court has recently rejected an appeal by 1993 blast accused Bhullar to commute his death sentence to life. A two-judge bench, including GS Singhvi and SJ Mukjopadhyay said that the accused had not been able to make out a case for it, since he had pleaded for commuting his death sentence on the ground of inordinate delay in deciding his mercy plea.Radical Sikh outfit spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said, the decision was travesty of justice as Prof Bhullar is on death row since 18 years.
Secondly, he was given punishment on the basis of confessional statement taken by police officer under torture.
Thirdly, it was a split verdict as the then Chief Justice acquitted him.
Fourthly, he was deported from Germany, where capital punishment is not given.
