Will Ajmal Kasab be ever hanged?
It seems that Kasab may not be ever hanged with Indian government having virtually taken an indirect decision to suspend death-sentence by going too slow in taking decision on earlier pending 29 petitions. Already Union Home Minister has made it clear that decision on mercy-petitions will be taken strictly in serial-order.
Latest en-block turning of eight death-sentences into life-imprisonment by President of India was done in an unprecedented manner when Union Home Ministry recalled all these files for ?review?. Earlier two successive Union home Ministers had recommended rejection of all these mercy-petitions after even their decision to reject mercy-petitions got endorsed by Attorney General. Union Home Ministry should give clarification on unprecedented decision to recall these files for review. After supreme Court?s verdict, mercy-petitions must be only rarely accepted. Union government should take immediate steps to decide all 29 mercy-petitions within a time-bound period of say three months.
Delay in deciding mercy-petitions creates unnecessary emotions and provocation, apart from diluting fear against committing the crime. Rule should be to finally decide on mercy-petitions within three months of filing with hanging done within one week of rejection of mercy-petition. Also terrorists can repeat incidents like infamous hijack of IC-814 at Kandhar to get death-convicts like Afzal Guru and Kasab freed before being hanged in case of delayed decisions on mercy-petitions.
