Chandigarh, Apr 18 (PTI) SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday sought the prime minister’s intervention for the release of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the assassination case of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
Rajoana was sentenced to death for his involvement in an explosion outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat here that killed Beant Singh and 16 others on August 31, 1995.
Badal said Rajoana has been in the jail for the past 26 years, a period more than the “effective equivalent” of a life sentence.
Badal also urged PM Narendra Modi to release other Sikh prisoners who have served more than the “effective equivalent” of a life sentence.
“The Union government had approved the commutation of Bhai Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment as a humanitarian gesture in 2019 on the eve of 550th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji,” Badal said in a letter to the prime minister dated April 18.
Badal said the issue warranted the urgent attention of the prime minister since a clemency petition under Article 72 of the Constitution of India, which was filed by the SGPC in March 25, 2012, is still pending with the President.
The article deals with the power of the President to grant pardon, suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases.
He said the Supreme Court had also issued a notice to the Union government to take a call on the mercy petition of Rajoana by April 30.
In his letter, Badal pointed out that SAD had submitted its resolution to the Union government to request for commuting of Rajoana’s death sentence to life term and later for his release.
The SGPC, apex religious body of the Sikhs, has also submitted representations calling for the release of all such Sikh prisoners, he said.
Badal also conveyed that “Sikhs worldwide desired that Bhai Rajoana be released and they were looking up to the prime minister to ensure the promise made to the community on the eve of the 550th Parkash Purb celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was fulfilled”.
The SAD president also made a similar plea to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. PTI SUN VSD RDK
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Source: The Print
