No time limit for Prez on mercy petition: Govt to tell HC

New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) The Centre is likely to tell the
Madras High Court that no time limit is prescribed for the
President to take a decision on mercy petition of any death
row convict.
Official sources said Tuesday the Home Ministry has
received a notice from the High Court seeking its response on
the petition filed on behalf of Murugan, Santhan and
Perarivalan, who were sentenced to death for the assassination
of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
The petition contended there had been a delay of over 11
years in the disposal of the petitions filed by the three
convicts seeking Presidential clemency.
"Constitution does not provide any time limit for the
President to decide any clemency petition. So, the argument of
the delay does not hold any ground," officials said.
The petition was filed seeking a review of the
President's order rejecting the clemency pleas of the three
convicts who were sentenced to death in the case relating to
the assassination of Gandhi during an election rally at
Sriperumpudur on May 21, 1991 by an LTTE suicide bomber.
The Madras High Court Tuesday stayed for eight weeks the
execution of the three convicts fixed for September 9.
Granting the stay, a Bench comprising justices C
Nagappan and M Sathayanarayanan observed there had been a
delay of over 11 years in the disposal of the petitions filed
by the three convicts seeking Presidential clemency.