The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that there was sensitivity involved in the matter related to the mercy petition of death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination case of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
A bench headed by Justice B R Gavai was hearing Rajoana's plea seeking directions to commute his death sentence to life term due to the "inordinate delay" in deciding his mercy petition.
"There is a sensitivity involved. Some agencies will have to be consulted," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench, also comprising Justices P K Mishra and K V Viswanathan.
Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, who also appeared in the matter, said the issue was being reviewed by the government.
He said since the issue was sensitive, some more inputs were required in the matter.
The bench said it would hear the plea after four weeks.
While hearing the petition on November 18, the apex court had put on hold its order asking President Droup