The Centre on Wednesday opposed in the Supreme Court a plea filed by Balwant Singh Rajoana seeking commutation of his death sentence to a life term in the 1995 assassination of then-Punjab CM Beant Singh.Rajoana, who has been incarcerated for over 29 years, including on death row for over 15 years, has sought commutation of his death sentence due to the delay in deciding his mercy petition.“We will argue this matter. I don’t think such a prayer can be granted,” Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, told a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Kumar Singh.Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Rajoana, told the court that the petitioner is in custody for 30 years and the mercy petition is still pending. The Bench posted the matter for hearing on November 18.Rohatgi had earlier argued that the mercy plea filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on behalf of Rajoana in March 2012 was still pending.The apex court had asked the Centre to take a decision on Rajoana’s mercy petition. Referring to the sensitivity of the matter, the Centre had said the mercy plea was under consideration.In September 2024, the top court sought responses from the Centre, the Punjab Government and the Chandigarh administration on Rajoana’s plea.Beant Singh and 16 others were killed in a blast at the entrance of the civil secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. A special court sentenced Rajoana to death in July 2007.