1993 Delhi blasts convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar withdraws premature release plea

Bhullar, who comes from Dayalpura Bhaike in Bathinda, was booked under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and other related laws in September 1993 in connection with the Delhi bomb blasts

The 1993 Delhi bomb blasts convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar has withdrawn his petition seeking premature release from the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC).

1993 Delhi blasts convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar (HT File)

Bhullar, who comes from Dayalpura Bhaike in Bathinda, was booked under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and other related laws in September 1993 in connection with the Delhi bomb blasts. He was later in 2001 awarded death sentence by a Delhi court, which was in 2014 commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court.

In May 2022, Bhlluar approached HC seeking quashing of an order wherein his premature release was declined. He is arguing that he was undergoing life imprisonment and he has already completed more than 27 years’ actual sentence. As per Delhi government rules, he was required to undergo only 14 years of actual sentence and 20 years’ sentence, including remissions. His case for grant of premature release has been deferred repeatedly without application of “judicious mind”, the plea had stated.

Before the HC, initially, the Delhi government was seeking time to submit that his case was pending before the government’s Sentence Review Board (SRB). Later, a legal issue cropped up, as per which he needed to file this plea before the Delhi HC as the trial took place in Delhi’s jurisdiction.

However, during the resumed hearing on February 27, Delhi’s counsel had told court that the SRB had rejected his application, his counsel sought permission from the court to withdraw the plea, which was allowed by the court. This was the seventh consecutive time his application of premature release was rejected.