Supreme Court gives life to Bhullar, commutes death penalty

The bench had on January 31 stayed Bhullar's execution and had agreed to review its judgement by which it had rejected his plea to commute his death sentence to life term. 

It had issued notice to the Centre and Delhi government on a curative petition and had also directed the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), where Bhullar is being treated, to file a medical report on the condition of the death row convict.

The apex court had on March 26, 2002 dismissed Bhullar's appeal against the death sentence awarded by a trial court in August 2001 and endorsed by the Delhi High Court in 2002. 

He had filed a review petition which was also dismissed on December 17, 2002.

Bhullar had then moved a curative petition which too had been rejected by the apex court on March 12, 2003.

Bhullar, meanwhile, had filed a mercy petition before the President on January 14, 2003.

The President, after a lapse of over eight years, had dismissed his mercy plea on May 14, 2011.

Citing the delay, he had again moved the apex court for commutation of the death sentence but his plea was rejected.