Gauhati High Court Stays Execution of Condemned Murder Convict, Orders Govt Explanation on Mercy Petition Delay

The Gauhati High Court has stayed the execution of condemned murder convict Mahendra Nath Das, pending an explanation from the Assam and central governments regarding a 12-year delay in rejecting a mercy petition filed by his family. The court issued notices to the union home ministry and the state home department to respond by June 17. The move came after the court admitted a writ of habeas corpus filed by Das's mother, Kusumbala Das.

Key Takeaways:

• The Gauhati High Court stayed the execution of Mahendra Nath Das, a condemned murder convict, pending an explanation from the Assam and central governments on a 12-year delay in rejecting a mercy petition.
• The court issued notices to the union home ministry and the state home department to respond by June 17.
• Das was convicted of murdering 68-year-old Harakanta Das on April 24, 1996, in Guwahati, and sentenced to death by a local sessions court in 1997.
• His appeals against the death sentence were rejected, and his plea for clemency was turned down by the president on May 27.
• Das's mother, Kusumbala Das, filed a writ of habeas corpus, which was admitted by the court, leading to the stay on the execution.
• The case has highlighted concerns about the delay in processing mercy petitions, with the government facing scrutiny over its handling of the matter.

Statistics:

• 12 years: The delay in rejecting the mercy petition filed by Das's family.
• 68: The age of Harakanta Das, the victim of the murder committed by Mahendra Nath Das.
• 1996: The year in which Das committed the murder on April 24.
• 1997: The year in which Das was sentenced to death by a local sessions court.
• 74: The age of Kusumbala Das, the mother of the convicted prisoner.

Sources:

• [1] IANS India Pvt. Ltd., "Gauhati High Court stays execution of condemned murder convict, orders govt explanation on mercy petition delay"