Supreme Court stays execution of 1993 terror case convict Bhullar

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the execution of Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, who is on a death row in connection with the 1993 Delhi blast case.

The apex court issued notices to the Centre and the Delhi government and sought their views on the matter. The court also asked for a report on Bhullar's mental condition.

Bhullar had filed a curative petition seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment. The petition was pending since September 2013.

Bhullar was sentenced to death in 2001 for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini and M.S. Bitta in 1993, leading to several deaths in New Delhi.

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

He had filed a review petition, which was also dismissed on 17 December, 2002. Bhullar had then moved a curative petition, which too had been rejected, by the apex court on March 12, 2003.

Bhullar had filed a mercy petition before the President on 14 January, 2003. The President, however, rejected his mercy petition on May 25 last year, clearing the decks for his execution.