New Delhi: Amid the controversy over the hanging of Afzal Guru, Chief Justice of India(CJI) Altamas Kabir on Sunday said the families of death row convicts should be informed in advance about their execution. However, he sought to play down the controversy on the issue saying the past incidents should not be raked up again. "Procedure as has been in the past, they should have been informed and as far as I know, steps were taken to inform them," the CJI said in response to a question about keeping families of death row convicts informed in time about their execution.
The CJI's remarks came against the backdrop of the family of Guru, the 2001 Parliament attack convict, not being informed about his hanging in due time. The communication regarding the rejection of Guru's mercy plea and his subsequent execution had reached his relatives two days after he was hanged on February 9.
The CJI along with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar was addressing a joint press conference after the conclusion of a conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts in Delhi. "The Law Minister has rightly said these are the issues which have already taken place in the past and I think these things should not be raked up again today. But yes, the principle has always been that the family members were told about when the things would happen," Justice Kabir said.
However, Kumar preferred not to be dragged into the controversy and said,
11:14 PM, Apr 07, 2013
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of eight prisoners for a month after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected their mercy plea. The apex court has said that it wants to make sure whether the family has been duly informed and the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru episode isn't repeated. The convicts' counsel had filed petitions challenging the rejection of their mercy plea. During the hearing, the bench said...
10:02 AM, Apr 07, 2013
New Delhi: Union Home Ministry on Tuesday recommended the rejection of the mercy petition of Pakistani terrorist and 26/11 lone survivor Ajmal Kasab. Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam has welcomed the development, saying "President has to study the recommendation of MHA. It's a positive phase in the case. It's a good development." K Unnikrishnan, NSG martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father, said, "I am happy that we did not make a mistake....
05:16 PM, Oct 23, 2012
New Delhi: A Bill seeking to bar death row convicts for waging a war against the nation from making mercy pleas to the President is likely to be introduced by a Shiv Sena member in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. The Private Members bill being moved by Bharatkumar Raut has come close on the heels of the Supreme Court upholding the capital punishment for Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab in the...
09:26 PM, Aug 30, 2012
Lahore: The lawyer of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh has highlighted flaws in his trial for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in 1990 and demanded that the Pakistan government commute his death sentence to life imprisonment. Lawyer Awais Sheikh said there were many mistakes committed by the courts during Sarabjit's trial and while deciding his appeals against his death sentence. "In the presence of many flaws in...
11:35 AM, Jul 07, 2012
New Delhi: Expressing concern over delay by the Centre and state governments in deciding mercy pleas of prisoners on death row, the Supreme Court on Wednesday sought from them the records of all such cases. A bench of justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhyay said the home secretaries of all the states would send the records of all cases of mercy pleas to states within three days to the Centre,...
12:40 PM, Feb 22, 2012
New Delhi: The 2008 Mumbai terror attack convict and Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab Tuesday told the Supreme Court that he was denied fair trial as he was not provided legal assistance during the initial stages as mandated under the Indian constitution. Once an accused, including a foreigner, is tried for an offence in India the provisions related to arrest as mentioned in the constitution get applied in his case. "Denial...
11:58 PM, Jan 31, 2012
New Delhi: The 2008 Mumbai terror attack convict and Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab Tuesday told the Supreme Court that he was denied fair trial as he was not provided legal assistance during the initial stages as mandated under the Indian constitution. Once an accused, including a foreigner, is tried for an offence in India the provisions related to arrest as mentioned in the constitution get applied in his case. "Denial ...
11:58 PM, Jan 31, 2012
Former president APJ Abdul Kalam said that the death penalty should be abolished. ...
03:52 PM, Oct 10, 2011
Jalandhar: The sister of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national on death row in Pakistan, has met him for the second time in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail, according to his daughter. Dalbir Kaur met Singh in the Jail on Friday and the two exchanged presents. An emotional Singh sent wishes for his daughter's upcoming birthday. "He has also sent greeting cards for me and my sister," Singh's daughter Swapandeep said. A...
12:34 PM, Jul 01, 2011
Dubai: Blood money to the tune of Rs 1 crore was offered in a Dubai court on Thursday to save the 17 Indians on death row for murdering a Pakistani following which the case has been adjourned till June 16. Local businessman, S P Singh Oberoi, who is founder president of Indian Punjabi Society, told PTI that he made the offer of Rs 1 crore in Pakistani currency, in the...
07:35 PM, May 19, 2011
New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil has pardoned the death sentence of Shobit Kumar, who was convicted for killing six people of a family. Shobit Kumar has been in jail for the last 21 years. His mercy petition filed with the President in 1998, was the oldest pending application. Earlier, CNN-IBN had shown Kumar's story, highlighting how his mercy petition filed in 1998, was the oldest pending application in India. “My...
09:54 AM, Aug 26, 2010
Inside India's Central jail, more than 300 prisoners are waiting for their death sentences. ...
03:53 PM, Aug 22, 2010
Seventeen Indians were sentenced to death by a Sharia court in UAE on March this year. ...
11:16 AM, May 19, 2010
The families are hoping against hope for the safety of their relatives. ...
10:43 PM, Apr 07, 2010
A lawyer, appointed by India, is expected to file an appeal on Wednesday on behalf of the Indians on death row. ...
10:17 AM, Apr 07, 2010
17 Indians are on death row in the UAE for killing a Pakistani in January 2009 over an illegal alcohol business. ...
12:07 AM, Apr 07, 2010
17 men have been convicted in Sharjah for the murder of a Pakistani. ...
11:06 PM, Mar 31, 2010
All 17 Indians are facing death sentence by the Shariah court for killing a Pakistani in an alleged fight over illegal alcohol business. ...
08:36 PM, Mar 31, 2010
Making prisoners wait for a decision on their pleas is cruel, says SC. ...
08:26 AM, Sep 22, 2009
