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Beant Singh assassination: Death sentence of convict commuted to life

The death sentence of the convicted assassin of former Punjab CM Beant Singh was commuted to life imprisonment. Beant Singh, credited for ending terrorism in Punjab, was assassinated on August 31, 1995.

Beant Singh assassination: Death sentence of convict commuted to life
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Published : Sep 30, 2019, 6:58 PM IST

New Delhi: The home ministry has decided to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, to life imprisonment, officials said on Sunday.

Beant Singh, credited for ending terrorism in Punjab, was assassinated on August 31, 1995.

"A decision has been taken to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana. The process of issuing a formal notification is underway," a home ministry official said.

On August 31, 1995, the then chief minister Beant Singh was killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh. Sixteen others also lost their lives in the terror attack in which Punjab police employee Dilawar Singh had acted as a human bomb.

The Babbar Khalsa terrorist was the second human bomb in case the first one would have failed in killing the Congress leader.

Death sentence of convict commuted to life

On Saturday, a home ministry spokesperson said eight Sikh prisoners, lodged in different jails in the country for committing crimes during the militancy in Punjab, would be released by the government on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Devji as a humanitarian gesture.

Through a special remission, the death sentence of another Sikh prisoner has been commuted to life imprisonment, the spokesperson had said. It came to light on Sunday that this prisoner is Rajoana.

Rajoana and eight others are lodged in different jails in the country.

The eight others were convicted by the various courts in the country for the offences committed by them during the militancy period in Punjab.

The decision was taken by the central government as a token of goodwill in response to the long-pending demands of the release of Sikh prisoners articulated by various sections of the Sikh community, the spokesperson said on Saturday.

The 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji will be in November.

A special court had in July 2007 awarded the death sentence to Rajoana, along with another terrorist Jagtar Singh Hawara, in the Beant Singh assassination case.

Rajoana was scheduled to be hanged on March 31, 2012.

However, the execution was stayed on March 28, 2012, by the then UPA government at the centre after Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee, the Sikh religious body filed a mercy petition.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, which was then in power in Punjab, campaigned against his execution.

The President had forwarded the plea to the home ministry to take a call on it.

Also read: SC refuses to further entertain plea for producing Farooq Abdullah

New Delhi: The home ministry has decided to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, to life imprisonment, officials said on Sunday.

Beant Singh, credited for ending terrorism in Punjab, was assassinated on August 31, 1995.

"A decision has been taken to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana. The process of issuing a formal notification is underway," a home ministry official said.

On August 31, 1995, the then chief minister Beant Singh was killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh. Sixteen others also lost their lives in the terror attack in which Punjab police employee Dilawar Singh had acted as a human bomb.

The Babbar Khalsa terrorist was the second human bomb in case the first one would have failed in killing the Congress leader.

Death sentence of convict commuted to life

On Saturday, a home ministry spokesperson said eight Sikh prisoners, lodged in different jails in the country for committing crimes during the militancy in Punjab, would be released by the government on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Devji as a humanitarian gesture.

Through a special remission, the death sentence of another Sikh prisoner has been commuted to life imprisonment, the spokesperson had said. It came to light on Sunday that this prisoner is Rajoana.

Rajoana and eight others are lodged in different jails in the country.

The eight others were convicted by the various courts in the country for the offences committed by them during the militancy period in Punjab.

The decision was taken by the central government as a token of goodwill in response to the long-pending demands of the release of Sikh prisoners articulated by various sections of the Sikh community, the spokesperson said on Saturday.

The 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji will be in November.

A special court had in July 2007 awarded the death sentence to Rajoana, along with another terrorist Jagtar Singh Hawara, in the Beant Singh assassination case.

Rajoana was scheduled to be hanged on March 31, 2012.

However, the execution was stayed on March 28, 2012, by the then UPA government at the centre after Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee, the Sikh religious body filed a mercy petition.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, which was then in power in Punjab, campaigned against his execution.

The President had forwarded the plea to the home ministry to take a call on it.

Also read: SC refuses to further entertain plea for producing Farooq Abdullah

Intro:In a politically significant move, Ministry of Home affairs has approved commutation of death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajona for his role in assassination of Punjab CM Beant Singh on 31st August 1995. Rajoana will undergo lifeterm now and this decision has been taken before 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji.

The death sentence of another convict Jagtar Singh Hwara was reduced to life imprisonment in 2010 after orders of Punjab and Haryana High court.
Rajoana neither defended himself nor filed mercy petition with President.

The Union Government on March 29, 2012, stayed Rajoana’s hanging, which was slated for March 31, 2012, after the SGPC filed a mercy petition.The then Punjab Government and most political parties in the state backed the move. Parkash Singh Badal, who was then CM, and his son and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal handed over a mercy petition to the President, seeking clemency for Rajoana. The  President referred the matter to the MHA, which stayed Rajoana’s execution. The Home Ministry has also approved the release of eight Sikh detainees charged  under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act  that was in force during 1985-1995. The Punjab Government had suggested nine names.Body: Delhi Sikh Gurdwara committee chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa has welcomed the move and said it was long pending request of Sikhs. If death sentence of assassination culprits of Rajiv Gandhi can be commuted why can't the same is unacceptable to some in Beant Singh's case.
The grandson of former CM Beant Singb and Congress MP Ravneet Bittu had opposed the decision and had termed it as Black day to some media houses in Punjab.Conclusion:On August 31, 1995, at 5.05 pm, three white Ambassador cars arrive at the portico of the Civil Sectt in Chandigarh, ‘human bomb’ constable Dilawar Singh, in police uniform and files in hand, begins walking towards then CM Beant SinghThe CM is accompanied by MLA Baldev Singh Pakakalan and his aides. As NSG commandos jostle to keep bystanders away and CM nears his car, the ‘human bomb’ presses the button at 5.12 pmThere is a deafening explosion; body parts are flung against pillars and walls of the porch. Besides the Chief Minister, 16 others, including three NSG commandos are killed
The decision is significant politically as it comes 2 days after BJP refused to ally with Shiromani Akali Dal in Haryana which is one of oldest alliance parties in Punjab.


Log sheet
Balwant Singh Rajoana ( file pic in Orange turban)
Beant Singh, former CM Punjab White turban
Ravneet Bittu, red turban Punjab Cong MP and grandson of Beant Singh
File pic of assassination site of Beant Singh
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara committee chief byte.
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