Ram Jethmalani and Mohit Chaodhary who appears for Rajiv Gandhi's killers say mercy pleas were delayed by 11 years and four months and therefore the death penalty becomes illegal and immoral.

The three convicts on Monday moved the Madras high court to stay their September 9 hanging.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko and advocate N Chandrasekaran filed the petition on behalf of the condemned prisoners - Murugan, Perarivalan and Santhan.