Rights group Amnesty International today termed as "very encouraging" the decision of the Supreme Court to commute the death sentence to life of three condemned prisoners in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
In a statement, Amnesty International India said the apex court ruling to commute death sentences of Perarivalan, Murugan and Santhan "is a very encouraging decision especially in light of the landmark ruling in January 2014 to commute 15 death sentences".
"After the historic verdict in January in which the Supreme Court held that 'inordinate and inexplicable delays' in carrying out executions were grounds to reduce penalties awarded to prisoners, today's decision to spare the lives of these three prisoners is a welcome judgement that shows the judiciary's willingness to uphold standards it set down for the treatment of prisoners on death row," the organisation said in a statement here.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam rejected the Centre's submission that there was no unreasonable delay in deciding their mercy plea and the condemned prisoners did not go through agonising experience as they were enjoying life behind the bars.
The bench said they are unable to accept the Centre's view and commuted the death sentence of the convicts to imprisonment for life subject to remission by the government.
