The bench, in its nine-page verdict, also referred to the judgement passed by a three-judge bench on January 21 in which it had held that inordinate delay by government in deciding mercy plea of death row convicts can be a ground for commuting their sentence.
The apex court had granted life to 15 condemned prisoners including four aides of forest brigand Veerappan.
Referring to the January 21 verdict, the bench said that the three-judge bench had also held that insanity or mental illness or schizophrenia was also one of the supervening circumstances for commutation of death sentence to life term.
“By applying the principle enunciated in Shatrughan Chauhan (supra), the accused cannot be executed with the said health condition,” it said.
Bhullar was convicted and awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast in New Delhi in September 1993, which killed nine persons and injured 25 others, including then Youth Congress president M S Bitta.
The Centre had earlier on March 27 told the court that it had no problem with commutation of Bhullar's death sentence to life term.
It had said that the petition in this regard has to be allowed in view of the apex court's January 21 verdict that delay in deciding mercy pleas can be a ground for such relief.
Updated on: March 31, 2014 19:13 IST
