The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to explain the delay of over eight years in deciding the mercy plea of terrorist Devender Pal Singh Bhullar. Bhullar was awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast in Delhi in September 1993, targeting the cavalcade of then Youth Congress President Maninderjit Singh Bitta, killing nine people.

A Bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi asked the Centre to file an affidavit by the 10th of next month, explaining the delay in deciding Bhullar's mercy plea of 2003 which was rejected by the President on May 25 this year after a lapse of over eight years.

The Supreme Court had on March 26, 2002, dismissed Bhullar's appeal against the death sentence. He had then filed a review petition which was also dismissed on December 17, 2002. Bhullar then filed a mercy petition before the President on January 14, 2003.