The condemned prisoners convicted in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case deserve death sentence, the Supreme Court said today. The Apex court refused to go into the merit of the conviction while hearing their plea on commuting death penalty to life due to delay in deciding their mercy plea.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam said that it is hearing the case on commuting the death sentence to life due to delay in deciding their mercy plea by government authority. The court restrained the counsel appearing for the death row convict to argue on the merit of the conviction.