The execution of death row convicts Shivu and Jadeswamy, scheduled for Thursday morning, was on Wednesday stayed by the Supreme Court.
Senior counsel K.V. Viswanathan said the President rejected both the executions on August 13 after a delay of six-and-half years.
Taking note of the submission, a three-judge Bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam and Justices Ranjana Desai and Ranjan Gogoi issued notice to the Centre, the Karnataka government and the jail authorities in Belgaum.
The two were sentenced to death in July 2005 for the rape and murder of a woman in 2001 at Bhadyadrayanahalli in Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar district. The Karnataka High Court upheld the sentence in October 2005 and the Supreme Court upheld it in February 2007. Thereafter mercy petitions were submitted to the then President and they were rejected on August 13.