Sc Puts Posers On Tada, Bhullar’S Health

[Azaad]

The Supreme Court today put several questions to the government on the rejection of the mercy petition of Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, raising the hope of the convict sentenced to death for the 1993 assassination attempt on the then Youth Congress chief MS Bitta.

A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya pointed out during the day-long hearing that the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), under which Bhullar had been convicted, was no longer a law.

Parliament repealed TADA after finding it to be very harsh and subsequently, brought another law known as Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), but this too was struck off the statute book for the same reason, the Bench noted.

Recalling the reformation of several dreaded dacoits after being sentenced to jail terms, the Bench said Phoolan Devi was one such person who went on to become a Member of Parliament.

Pointing out the mental condition of Bhullar, who is undergoing treatment at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences at Shahdara near here, the Bench asked Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval whether the Home Ministry tried to find out his health status before sending its recommendations to the President.

The Bench made the remarks after going through the ministry’s report to the President. The court also pointed out that the judiciary had chosen to award life sentence for varying periods even in rarest of rare cases, avoiding death sentence.