13 March 2014 :

the Supreme Court dismissed the Centre’s plea seeking review of its verdict holding that undue delay by the Government in deciding mercy plea can be a ground to commute death sentence of a condemned prisoner. The apex court rejected the Centre’s contention that the 21 January judgment by which 15 condemned prisoners were granted life and paved the way for similar relief for Rajiv Gandhi killers, is “patently illegal and suffers from errors apparent”. 
“We have carefully gone through the review petitions and the connected papers. We find no merit in the review petitions and the same are accordingly dismissed,” a bench comprising chief justice P. Sathasivam and justices Ranjan Gogoi and Shiva Kirti Singh said, who rejected the “permission for hearing in open court.”