New Delhi, Jul 11: The Supreme Court on Monday, Jul 11 issued notice to the central government over Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar who was awarded death sentence by the Delhi High Court in 2001 regarding a blast case in New Delhi in 1993.

Bhullar moved the apex court demanding to commute his death sentence to a life term imprisonment as he has already spent more than eight years in prison as judgment on his mercy plea was delayed so long.

The Supreme Court asked both central and Delhi government to clarify their respective stands over the delayed decision on Bhullar's petition.

The mercy plea, which was pending since Jan 14, 2003, was rejected by the President Pratibha Patil on May 27, 2011.The final recommendation on Bhullar's plea by Union home ministry was pronounced in Aug 2005.

Bhullar was indicted in the bomb blast case near the office of Indian Youth Congress in New Delhi in 1993. The blast claimed nine lives and injured 30 persons, including the then President of Indian Youth Congress (IYC), Maninderjit Singh Bitta. Bhullar was also suspected to have a role in the 1991 attack on the then Chandigarh SSP, Sumedh Singh Saini.

Considering all charges against him, Bhullar, had fled to Germany in 1994 from where he was deported a year later. He was then tried and sentenced to death.

OneIndia News