Pardon error: AP Cabinet responsible, says Sorabjee

Hyderabad, Oct 14 (UNI) Maintaining that the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet and not the Governor was responsible for the 'wrong' order granting clemency to Congressman Gouru Venkata Reddy, former Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee today hoped that the Centre would consider Supreme Court's observations to decide on the petition for pardon to Afzal Guru, convicted in the Parliament attack case.

Talking to media here, Dr Sorabjee, an authority on constitutional law, said while the President or Governor had the power to grant clemency, it could not be exercised on 'irrelevant consideration'.

He felt the Governor could not be faulted in the Reddy case as he was bound to go by the Cabinet's advice.

'At the most, he could have returned it to the Cabinet for reconsideration,' added Dr Sorabjee, who earlier delivered the Sardar Vallabbhai Patel Memorial Lecture on 'the Constitution, Rule of Law and Police' at the prestigious National Policy Academy.

Asserting that being a good Congress worker could not be a relevant factor for granting clemency, he said, tomorrow, the person could join the Samajwadi Party and the day after the Marxists.

The prisoner's age, remaining years of sentence and health condition were relevant factors for considering clemency, he said.

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