(Reopens Del 32)

Gonsalves had referred to the petitions filed by the two condemned prisoners, Bhullar and Das, on whose plea for commutation of capital punishment to life term on the ground of delay, the apex court reserved its verdict in April last year. The bench earlier had said that hearing this matter may also have a bearing on the petitions filed by the death row convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case against the rejection of their mercy petition. The apex court had on May 1 last year had decided to adjudicate itself the pleas of Rajiv Gandhi killers-- Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan alias Arivu-- against their death penalty due to the delay of over 11 years in deciding their mercy petitions by the President. The Madras High Court had earlier stayed their hanging and had issued notices to the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government.