The Supreme Court today dismissed the Centre's plea seeking review of its verdict holding that undue delay by the government in deciding mercy plea, can be a ground to commute death sentence of a condemned prisoner.

The apex court rejected the Centre's contention that the January 21 judgement, by which 15 condemned prisoners were granted life and paved the way for similar relief for Rajiv Gandhi killers, is patently illegal and suffers from apparent errors. A bench comprising Chief Justice P Sathasivam and justices Ranjan Gogoi and Shiva Kirti Singh said that they found no merit in the review petitions.

The bench, which decided the review petition in chamber, declined the submission of the Centre that such an important issue should have been heard by a Constitution bench and the judgement passed by a three-judge bench was without jurisdiction.