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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Home ministry draws CIC’s flak for lack of records on President mercy plea since '70 -Himanshi Dhawan

Home ministry draws CIC’s flak for lack of records on President mercy plea since '70 -Himanshi Dhawan

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published Published on Jun 15, 2013   modified Modified on Jun 15, 2013
-The Times of India


NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has rapped the ministry of home affairs after the latter admitted that it did not have data on mercy petitions considered by the President since 1970. The Commission has asked the ministry to disclose the information within four weeks in larger public interest.

The order came in response to an application by an under trial lodged in Agra's Central Jail. In her order information commissioner Sushma Singh observed that the information sought can be disclosed. ``The records are not so old that they cannot be traced. The list of cases ought to be available with the respondent,'' the order said.

Singh has directed the ministry to compile a list of cases of mercy pleas considered under Article 72 of the Constitution along with decision taken since 1970.

The applicant, an undertrial Narender, had sought information on list of death convicts where the death penalty has been commuted to life imprisonment after consideration of their mercy petitions by the President since 1970. MHA informed the transparency watchdog through a letter by the joint secretary (judicial) that it had information related to mercy petitions from 1981 onwards. The ministry added that it had only records of 11 cases pre-1980.

Not satisfied with the response Narender had filed an appeal with the CIC also asking for the information to be given free of cost since he had been in prison for the last 17 years. Giving the order Singh said, "The CPIO is directed in larger public interest to compile the list of cases of mercy petitions considered under Artcile 72 of the Constitution along with communication of orders since 1970 and provide to the appellant free of cost within four weeks of the receipt of the order.''

There has been a spurt of applications seeking information regarding mercy petitions after the government chose to conduct two executions - 26/11 terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru - in complete secrecy.


The Times of India, 15 June, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Home-ministry-draws-CICs-flak-for-lack-of-records-on-President-mercy-plea-since-70/articleshow/20598374.cms


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