"That grief will always remain. The Supreme Court has not declared them innocent. That's the main point. If they walk free they will walk free 20-22 years. So that's it. If that is the punishment the court felt they should suffer so be it. I do not have to say that I am happy or unhappy," he said.
Chidambaram said as a legal proposition there is an issue with the reasoning of the Supreme Court that mere delay is enough to commute the death sentence.
"After I became the Home Minister all the pending mercy petitions were returned and I had to deal with them one by one. Therefore to say that mere delay means that the sentence can be commuted to life raises a serious question of law. I think we have to examine the correctness of that proposition.
Chidambaram said the reasoning on which the judgement stands will be debated.