The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to decide fast on the mercy petitions of death convicts pending before it. A bench comprising Justices H.S. Bedi and J.M. Panchal asked the government to settle the issue within a reasonable period of time and not to treat them as chattels and pawns to suit its political purposes. Taking a strong exception to the delay on part of the government to dispose off mercy petitions filed by death convicts, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to take note of the plight of these convicts for whom each passing day becomes an agonizing wait.