The Supreme Court has declined to expedite the decision on the mercy petition of 87-year-old Swami Shraddhanand, who has been imprisoned for over 30 years for the murder of Shakereh Khaleeli. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi dismissed the petition, stating that the matter did not warrant the court's intervention under Article 32 of the Constitution.
Shraddhanand, also known as Murli Manohar Mishra, was convicted in 2000 for the 1991 murder of his wife, Shakereh Khaleeli, a prominent Bengaluru socialite and the granddaughter of Sir Mirza Ismail, the former Dewan of Mysore. The prosecution argued that Shraddhanand murdered Khaleeli to gain control of her property. Investigation revealed that Shraddhanand had drugged and buried Khaleeli alive in the courtyard of their home after she had executed a general power of attorney and will in his favor. Her remains were discovered in 1994.
The Karnataka High Court initially confirmed the death sentence, but the Supreme Court commuted it in 2008 to life imprisonment without remission, meaning he would not be released from prison for the rest of his life. In October 2024, the court dismissed a review petition challenging this sentence.
Advocate Varun Thakur, representing Shraddhanand, argued that the prolonged delay in deciding the mercy petition violated his client's fundamental rights, especially considering his advanced age and deteriorating health. Thakur emphasized that Shraddhanand has spent over 30 years in prison without parole. He also drew a comparison to those convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who have since been released, arguing that Shraddhanand had been incarcerated for over three decades for a single incident. The plea stated that Shraddhanand has already served a period far beyond the standard life term and that a decision on his mercy petition has been delayed without justification.
Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj informed the court that the Union Government is awaiting the opinion of the Karnataka Government, as the state is the prosecuting authority in the case. "Once their response comes, we will process it immediately," he stated.
Justice Maheshwari expressed surprise at the number of adjournments granted in the case, stating that it would have been dismissed on the first day if it had come before his bench. The bench also pointed to previous orders dismissing Shraddhanand's pleas for review and parole, including a writ petition seeking to stay the Amazon Prime docuseries 'Dancing on the Grave,' which pertained to Khaleeli's murder.
In July 2025, the Apex Court had expressed concern over the brutality of the offence. "Look at the case, what about the lady you murdered and buried in her own house?" the court had remarked. The court ultimately dismissed the current petition as withdrawn and declined to grant permission to approach state authorities.
