Chandigarh (Punjab): The Supreme Court is likely to pass its verdict regarding the release of Balwant Singh Rajoana in the Punjab former chief minister Beant Singh murder case. A three-judge bench will on Tuesday hear the plea of accused Balwant Singh Rajoana for the commutation of death row to life sentence in the 1995 Beant Singh assassination case.
Following an earlier direction from the court, the Center has already submitted its affidavit in the matter, saying a decision on the release of Rajoana could not be taken due to security reasons. On the other hand, Rajoana's lawyer says that his client has been in jail for 26 years, due to which his death sentence should be commuted and released.
It may be recalled Beant Singh, the former Chief Minister of Punjab, was assassinated on 31 August 1995. According to Balwant Singh Rajoana's statement, he along with Punjab Police officer Dilawar Singh and others hatched the assassination plot for blowing up Beant Singh with a human bomb. Dilawar Singh became the human bomb to eliminate Beant Singh.
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The plot was designed in such a way that if Dilawar failed, there would be an attack from Rajoana's side. Beant Singh was assassinated the suicide bomb attack at Chandigarh in which 12 others were also killed. The Union government took a lot of time to take a final decision on Rajoana's death sentence despite several orders from the apex court.
Rajoana, a former police constable, is convicted by a local court and his hanging was scheduled on March 31, 2012. The hanging was stayed following a mercy petition filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) with the President of India.
