The Madras High Court on Friday adjourned to November 29, further hearing of the writ pleas filed by the three Rajiv convicts seeking to commute their death sentences, even as the Centre submitted that they should be hanged following rejection of their mercy pleas by the President.
When the petitions filed by the convicts — Murugan, Perarivalan and Santhan — came up for hearing, a division Bench comprising Justices C Nagappan and Justice M Sathyanarayana adjourned the case to November 29, after the Centre, in its counter affidavit, said a case was pending before the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the writ pleas from the High Court.
On August 30, Madras High Court stayed the execution of the death penalty of the three convicts by eight weeks and issued notices to the Centre and the State. The writ pleas were filed by the trio after the Vellore Prison Authorities fixed the date of hanging date for September 9 following the rejection of their mercy pleas by the President in August.
When the case came up for hearing on Friday, Additional Solicitor General M Raveendran submitted the counter stating the three convicts should be hanged as their clemency petitions had already been rejected by the President.
Raveendran submitted the writ pleas filed by the three convicts, seeking commutation of their death penalty, should be dismissed and they should be hanged. He also contended that their mercy petition has already been rejected by the President. ”Once the President has rejected the mercy plea, the proper procedure is to proceed with the execution of the death sentences”, the Centre submitted.
Raveendran also told the court that a case relating to the transfer of the writ pleas out of the Madras High Court was pending before the Supreme Court and sought an adjournment.Accepting the plea, the Bench posted further hearing in the case to November 29.
